My reporting prompted Dartmouth provost to resign. It wasn't the right call

In August, journalist Reed published columns discussing the use of AI in guest columns published in major news outlets, one of which was authored by Dartmouth Provost Santiago Schnell. This week, Schnell resigned from his position. While the reporting initially aimed to provoke thoughtful discussions, it inadvertently led to a shaming and blame campaign that resulted in Schnell's resignation.

The issue at hand is whether a blanket ban on AI use in writing is even feasible, given its widespread prevalence and capability to deceive even the world's most respected editors.

Schnell's resignation may seem justifiable, given the common disciplinary actions taken against students who use AI in their academic work. However, dismissing an esteemed university official over this matter could be counterproductive, as it may only exacerbate the ongoing struggle with technology use that has become an integral part of modern life. Regretfully, future generations might look back on this situation with regret, questioning the severity of outrage over the use of an increasingly useful technological tool.

Eli Moyse, a columnist for Dartmouth's student newspaper, expressed discontent with Schnell's resignation. He argued that Schnell's use of AI in academic publications constitutes a more severe violation compared to students who face punishment for their transgressions. Moyse highlighted that even if the work wasn't produced by a human, passing off non-human work as one's own still constitutes plagiarism, a serious academic misconduct.

It's not just university provosts who utilize AI in their writing; politicians have also been found to employ this technology to create their website biographies and policy positions, as per a New York Times analysis.