When I started as a writing major, I was constantly told how many doors the degree would open for me. Both professors and advisors assured me that good writing will always be in demand. They explained how clear and thoughtful communication would be valued in every industry. I had no reason not to believe them. Now, as I’m nearing graduation, the tone has completely shifted. The promise of possibility for writers is now shrouded in uncertainty. Why? Well, there is something that can write more efficiently than any writing major out there – Artificial Intelligence.
Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence that can create new content such as text, images, or code, based on learned patterns from existing data. In a few short years, it went from being an experimental novelty to a global phenomenon. Around 115 million people are using it daily, and finding a class where there are absolutely no students using generative AI to do their writing for them is difficult, if not impossible. From short introduction discussion posts to creative writing portfolios, I’ve seen AI used for almost every class assignment within the past few semesters.
It’s not just students studying English who are starting to feel nervous about the situation.
Boone Schmaltz is graduating alongside me in December of this year. He is a computer science major and is no stranger to seeing AI be overused in the classroom. He admitted it is not just the students using it. “I have seen instructors’ use of it grow quite a bit in these last few years, both in student interactions and also in the creation of assignments.”
Despite its widespread use, it is becoming harder to distinguish between writing from a human or a computer. According to the Pew Research Center, only 30% of U.S adults can identify examples of AI in everyday life. This lack of awareness extends into the classroom. It follows students and professors into spaces where original thought was previously celebrated. This disconnect is especially prevalent in academic settings where students should be encouraged to think critically and write with intention. However, some students are letting ChatGPT speak for them. They are no longer outsourcing just an assignment, but the thought behind it as well. This trade-off means we are losing something essential: the deeply human struggle of learning to think for ourselves.
The skill I have dedicated the last four years of my life to can now be imitated in seconds. As I get ready to enter the workforce in a world where content can be generated instantly, I am left with a lot of questions. Will employers find value in my writing, or will they just value how fast an algorithm can produce content?
Schmaltz explained how he has similar questions, even with a tech-focused degree.“My field is currently experiencing a sort of shrinkflation,” he said, “where companies are trying to see how many flesh and blood developers they can remove, in the hopes AI can supplement the loss of their contribution, while still gleaning the same revenue.” Even in a field like his, one that is so closely tied to AI, there is concern about the loss of human input.
I won’t lie; it is tempting at times. Second-guessing everything I write has become part of the process. Knowing ChatGPT could probably say it better and faster gets to me at times. It is hard not to compare myself to a machine that doesn’t make typos and will never have writer’s block.
Schmaltz captured this feeling perfectly when he compared the overuse of AI to a monkey’s paw: “Every time you use AI to complete a task for you, you become worse at that task.” For him, and increasingly for me as well, the problem goes beyond convenience. It is about what we are losing. “By taking away the chance to improve these creative skills, on top of creating an environment where these skills are not properly maintained, it leads to further degradation of these skills. Choosing the easy path of replacing creative efforts with AI means these creative skills are pushed further out of reach.”
I know AI isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and it has completely changed the landscape I’m stepping into as I prepare to graduate. But no matter how advanced it becomes, it can never replace real human writers. It can’t mimic intention, perspective, creativity, or vulnerability. Writing has never been about just putting words on a page. It’s about sharing lived experiences and crafting something honest. That is something I know a machine will never be able to do.