What worries writing instructors most about AI

+ UAW sets sights on nonunion shops US Edition - Today's top story: Writing instructors are less afraid of students cheating with ChatGPT than you might think [View in browser]( US Edition | 28 November 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [Word of the year and our AI-infused zeitgeist]( - [A balanced approach to kids’ social media use]( - [Case for NASA mission to Uranus]( Lead story When I first asked ChatGPT to tell me about myself, it got a lot of stuff right. For instance, it’s true that I have “a particular interest in issues related to minority students and education equity,” and that I’ve “written extensively about the challenges facing students from low-income families.” But ChatGPT also got a lot of stuff wrong. For instance, I don’t hold a bachelor’s degree in English, as the chatbot claimed. Nor do I hold a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park, although, oddly enough, I did begin teaching in the college of journalism at Maryland this fall. What really made me lose confidence in ChatGPT is when I asked if the United States ever had a president with African ancestry, and it answered no, then apologized after I reminded the chatbot about Barack Obama. Irrespective of the reliability of ChatGPT, or lack thereof, educators are experimenting to varying degrees with the use of AI in their classrooms. Numerous headlines have trumpeted concerns that students would use ChatGPT or products like it to cheat by having them write their essays for them. However, as English professors Daniel Ernst and Troy Hicks discovered in their survey of college writing instructors, [cheating isn’t their biggest concern when it comes to ChatGPT](. Rather, they’re more worried about people having to compete with AI for various jobs – including writing instructors. [ [Sign up for our weekly Global Economy & Business newsletter, with interesting perspectives from experts around the world](. ] Jamaal Abdul-Alim Education Editor Many educators say they are worried about being unable to keep up with advances in AI. Guillaume via Getty Images [Writing instructors are less afraid of students cheating with ChatGPT than you might think]( Daniel Ernst, Texas Woman's University; Troy Hicks, Central Michigan University A survey about college writing instructors’ fears and anxieties about AI demonstrates that student cheating isn’t their only concern. And in fact, many have embraced it as a teaching tool. Arts + Culture - [Merriam-Webster’s word of the year – authentic – reflects growing concerns over AI’s ability to deceive and dehumanize]( Roger J. Kreuz, University of Memphis Innovations in AI seem to be spurring interest in what is or isn’t real, accurate and human. Economy + Business - [Next on the United Auto Workers’ to-do list: Adding more members who currently work at nonunion factories to its ranks]( Marick Masters, Wayne State University; Raymond Gibney Jr., Penn State Wooing those workers will be expensive and require a lot of creativity, since many of them are employed in ‘right-to-work’ states. Politics + Society - [After a pandemic pause, Detroit restarts water shut-offs – part of a nationwide trend as costs rise]( Elizabeth Mack, Michigan State University; Edward Helderop, University of California, Riverside; Tony Grubesic, University of California, Riverside Detroit residents with past-due bills are facing water shut-offs again after a reprieve during COVID-19. At the same time, providers are also raising rates. Education - [Philly parents worry about kids’ digital media use but see some benefits, too]( Denise E. Agosto, Drexel University Researchers conducted in-depth interviews with 17 Philadelphia parents about how their family uses digital media. Here they offer tips to promote healthy, balanced media habits for kids. Health + Medicine - [A researcher’s prescription for better health care: A dose of humility for doctors, nurses and clinicians]( Barret Michalec, Arizona State University Research shows that when health care professionals work in a collaborative manner, patient satisfaction and outcomes improve. - [Joaquin Phoenix’s lips are not like Napoleon’s − here’s what everyone should know about cleft lip]( Mary L. Marazita, University of Pittsburgh; Bernard J. Costello MD, DMD, University of Pittsburgh; Seth M. Weinberg, University of Pittsburgh Joaquin Phoenix has previously been mocked for a facial scar that some have assumed is a cleft lip. Two geneticists and a surgeon explain what causes this common birth defect. Science + Technology - [Unwrapping Uranus and its icy secrets: What NASA would learn from a mission to a wild world]( Mike Sori, Purdue University Five of the Uranus moons might be ocean worlds − and if there’s water, there might be life. International - [We rarely hear about the disasters that were avoided – but there’s a lot we can learn from them]( Ilan Kelman, UCL; Ana Prados, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Brady Podloski, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology; Gareth Byatt, UNSW Sydney We rarely see good news headlines when a cyclone, earthquake or wildfire does not turn disastrous. Trending on site - [Why are bullies so mean? A youth psychology expert explains what’s behind their harmful behavior]( - [Earth’s magnetic field protects life on Earth from radiation, but it can move, and the magnetic poles can even flip]( - [Dozens of US adolescents are dying from drug overdoses every month − an expert on substance use unpacks the grim numbers with 3 charts]( Today's graphic 📈 [Globally, fossil fuel use has risen significantly since 1965, with natural gas up 525%, oil up 194% and coal up 178%. The global population increased by about 140% over the same period.]( From the story, [How climate negotiators turn national self-interest into global collective action]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly and biweekly emails: • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Trying out new social media? 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