Our Policy on the Use of AI Writing Software at the Writers College

You have probably heard about the AI writing software that has made news headlines over the past few months. If using AI to help you with your writing assignments doesn’t interest you – wonderful! You don’t need to read any further. 

However, if you are already using AI, or want to, then please note our standpoint on the use of this technology.

At our writing school, we acknowledge the benefits of using artificial intelligence (AI) to assist with writing assignments. However, we ask that you only use AI for brainstorming and idea-generation purposes. The writing itself must be written in your own voice.

It likely took courage and considerable thought to get you to sign up for a writing course. Now that you are here, we urge you to make the most of this growth opportunity. Learn new skills and grow your creative muscle. Give your brain the chance to develop new neural pathways that will help you write imaginatively and with confidence, long after you have completed your writing course. AI can speed up your writing process, but it will always come at the detriment of your own inner struggle (yes, struggling to write is a good thing!) and detract from the personal meaning behind and joy of writing.

Writing is about applying your own curiosity, knowledge and imagination to your writing tasks, so a large part of creating compelling copy means being able to write emotionally driven copy and using AI-generated writing will not help you hone this skill or develop your intuition.

If your tutor can identify that your assignments were AI-assisted, marks will be deducted for poor style and the lack of a unique writer’s voice.

Using a third party to complete your assignments is considered to be cheating, so if your tutor can prove that your assignment was entirely written by AI, you will receive zero marks for that task.

IMPORTANT:

Please include a declaration of authenticity for each assignment submitted. “I [name and surname] hereby declare that the work I have submitted for assessment is written entirely in my own words. If I used artificial intelligence of any sort to assist me in the completion of Module [Number] of [Writing Course Title], it was in the following ways:

1.

2.

3.

Please carefully consider the drawbacks of using AI below. This content was generated using AI.

• Lack of creativity: AI can only generate ideas based on pre-existing data and patterns, limiting its creativity and ability to come up with unique and original ideas.
• Impersonal tone: AI-generated content can lack emotion and the human touch that comes with personal writing, leading to a lack of emotional connection and engagement with the reader.
• Overreliance on technology: Relying too much on AI for writing can hinder a student’s ability to develop their own writing skills and creativity.
• Limited understanding of context: AI may not fully understand the nuances and context of a particular topic or subject, leading to incorrect or inappropriate ideas.
• Repetitive content: AI-generated content can be repetitive and lack variety, leading to boring, uninteresting writing.
• Unnatural phrasing: AI may produce sentences or phrases that are technically correct but sound awkward or unnatural when read aloud.
• Lack of originality: AI-generated content may be too similar to existing content, leading to accusations of plagiarism and lack of originality.
• Inaccuracy: AI-generated content may contain errors or inaccurate information, leading to misinformation and a lack of credibility.
• Difficulty in editing: AI-generated content can be difficult to edit or revise, as the original ideas may be lost or difficult to modify.
• Limited vocabulary: AI may have a limited vocabulary or understanding of complex language, leading to simplistic writing.
• Bias: AI may contain biases or assumptions based on the data it was trained on, leading to potentially offensive or discriminatory content.
• Inability to adapt: AI may not be able to adapt to changes in the topic or subject, leading to outdated or irrelevant ideas.
• Dependence on technology: Relying too much on AI for writing may lead to a dependence on technology and a lack of critical thinking skills.
• Ethical concerns: The use of AI for writing raises ethical concerns regarding ownership of ideas, accountability for content, and the impact on the job market for writers.

In summary, while the use of AI can be beneficial for brainstorming and idea generation, it cannot replace thorough, sound research, nor can it write in a clever, humorous, witty, nuanced way. It is important to acknowledge its limitations and potential drawbacks when it comes to writing.

Our school policy requires that you use AI as a tool for inspiration and idea generation only, with the final writing being your own original work. All tasks must be accompanied by a declaration. You can include it in your emails or the assignment document.

Kind regards

Nichola Meyer and the staff at the Writers College