In a recent article for the New York Times, Clay Shirky (New York University) asserts that a university’s best weapon against the abuse of AI is a return to the strategies used in the 14th century. Shirky explains that various strategies—including encouraging engaged uses of AI, redesigning assignments to be “AI-proof,” and asking students to critique AI outputs—have failed to persuade students to avoid “lazy uses” of AI. Instead, he describes his shift to in-class essays, oral examinations, and other assessments that require students to demonstrate their knowledge in real time. “These strategies do not represent a loss of rigor,” he argues. “They are simply a return to an older, more relational model of higher education.”
