As an English teacher and an author, you would think that I would be 100% against artificial intelligence, but I will admit that AI does have its uses. Let me be clear, I am opposed to students using AI to write essays or to complete assignments. After all, the entire purpose of assignments is for students to demonstrate what they know and what they can do, not what a computer can do for them. I am also opposed to an author using AI to create a piece of literature and then claiming that writing as their own expression of creativity. Essentially, if a person is going to take credit for creating something, it needs to come from them and not from AI.
So when is using AI acceptable? There are actually several instances when AI can be very useful: in education, for individuals with disabilities, automation in businesses, and many more. I will admit that I have used AI to tweak letters of recommendation for students and colleagues, but I always write my own, original draft first. After I compose the letter, I will use AI to polish it so it can be as professional as possible. I will occasionally follow a similar format if I want to write a professional email, or if I want to make sure an email isn’t written too forcefully, or has a harsher tone than I intended.
On a lighter note, AI can be extremely useful in the kitchen. If I have random ingredients left in the fridge, and I have no clue what to do with them for dinner, I simply type in the ingredients I have available, and AI will generate a recipe ready for a weeknight dinner. AI also has a fun side. I was listening to a radio station and the host used AI to write a poem about his coworker. It was hilarious! “But Stephanie, you said using AI to write a creative piece of literature was not okay.” The difference in this situation with the poem is the radio host never took credit for the poem; he openly admitted that the poem was generated by AI.
While my stance on artificial intelligence is probably more strict than others, it is not completely one-sided. The main thing to keep in mind is to approach the use of AI ethically. Like so many things, it is okay to use it as a tool, but we should not become dependent on it. It is essential for people to continue to use their own minds to create unique pieces of art and literature in order to preserve the authenticity of creative expression.
