The author, a lecturer at MIT, shares a powerful teaching moment involving their writing students and their use of AI. The students confessed to using AI to write their stories, citing fear of criticism and a lack of writing experience as their reasons. This revelation led to a productive discussion about the nature of writing, the importance of friction in the creative process, and the value of peer review. The author emphasizes that writing is a challenging and rewarding endeavor, requiring sustained attention and the ability to translate thoughts into words. They argue that AI-generated writing lacks the authenticity and emotional depth of human-written work, and that using AI undermines the purpose of a workshop. The author's policy is to discourage AI usage and focus on the students' own words and thinking. This incident has led to a shift in their teaching approach, emphasizing the importance of authorship and the struggle of translating thoughts into language. The author concludes by advocating for a return to the traditional writing process, where friction and human interaction are essential for growth and learning.
