Human vs Machine: Why Using AI for Essays is a Bad Idea

In the past few months, AI has been the subject of several debates and discussions. It has been making waves across industries, and as a student, you might wonder if you can use it for writing your essays and assignments too.

While AI technology can be impressive, there are several reasons why relying on it for essay writing is a bad idea. In this article, we'll explore the limitations of AI essay writers and why nothing can replace the power of human writing.

5 risks of relying on AI for your essays

You might be tempted to open an AI chatbot or essay writer and type “write a research proposal on the impact of digital communication on psychological well-being.”

It will give you paragraphs of coherently written and grammatically correct sentences, but what about factors like research, analysis, unique perspectives, and creativity that contribute to a high-scoring essay? AI gives you none of that.

Here are five major risks of using AI for writing essays and assignments.

Risk #1: Lack of originality

Here’s the thing: AI language models regurgitate existing ideas. They do not create new ones.

This is because AI language models are designed to generate new text by learning patterns and structures from large datasets of existing text. Consequently, we get the same old ideas packaged in a different way, lacking originality and creativity.

So, when you submit AI-generated essays, remember: you are submitting recycled (and even plagiarized) content that lacks the creativity or originality that is expected from high school and college essays.

Risk #2: Inability to critically analyze

From high school and IB to MBA, Ph.D., and any other degree, most curriculums are focused on developing students’ critical thinking skills through assignments and essays.

However, AI essay writers and chatbots don’t have the capability to analyze research critically, make decisions, or form judgments.

In one of the AI language model’s own words – “My analysis is limited to the information and data that I have been trained on, and I cannot provide a completely subjective or independent perspective on any topic.”

For your essays to compel, engage and move your readers, they need to take a stand and that can only happen when it is written by a human with emotional intelligence. Not a bot.

Risk #3: Inaccuracies and errors

As AI language models rely on pre-existing data, there are high chances of receiving inaccurate content along with discriminatory and biased responses. This is alarming for submissions because an essay with factual errors and outdated information reflects a lack of awareness and sensitivity.

Take CNET’s example, for instance. A few months ago, they published an AI-generated article explaining compound interest which was found to be filled with errors. They later published a correction with accurate information.

While CNET could add a ‘correction,’ there’s no turning back when it comes to high school and college essay submissions. An inaccurate essay is bound to impact your grades.

Risk #4: Generic and robotic style of writing

This tweet perfectly summarizes the risk of using AI for writing essays.

Everyone has a different voice and style of writing. We have the scope to be innovative and imaginative – and that’s the beauty of human writing.

AI language models, on the other hand, produce similar-sounding and generic writing. They do not use metaphors, rhetorical questions, examples, and other literary devices. Owing to that, it fails to appeal and draw readers.

Risk #5: Chances of getting caught

With plagiarism detection software getting increasingly sophisticated, they have the capability to detect if an essay is written by a human or AI. This is considered to be plagiarism and can lead to academic penalties such as failing grades or expulsion.

Hence, while AI essay writers might seem like a shiny new toy to explore, it’s certainly not worth putting your academics and grades at risk.

Is using AI for essays cheating?

While using AI for writing essays is not considered to be cheating, it does result in a poorly written essay with no depth or originality. It is unlikely that such an essay will fetch you high-scoring grades.

Conclusion

It’s important to remember that essays are not just about writing coherent strings of sentences. They are about doing research, thinking critically, forming judgments, and expressing yourself. None of which can be achieved by submitting an AI-generated essay.

However, if you’re pressed for time or are not confident about submitting a well-written essay, why not turn to humans for help? Writers Per Hour is a quality paper writing service that can help you with your high school and college assignments.

Our team of expert writers write 100% original essays from scratch, meeting your deadline and other requirements. What’s more, you can’t get caught using our services because we guarantee complete confidentiality. Our services are legal and with us, you get all the information you need to ace your paper.