Guess which sentence was written by AI and which was written by a human. 

Sentence A: The stars gleamed and flickered like whispers in the night, helping the sailors return to their families. 

Sentence B: The stars were bright in the dark sky to help guide the sailors home. 

If you guessed Sentence B was written by AI, then you would be correct. It is short, bland, and provides minimal detail. As compared to the human-written sentence, which captures the experiences and showcases vivid personality. 

With the use of AI on the rise, many students are losing their voice when it comes to writing. With a simple click of a button, AI sources like ChatGPT can generate an entire essay in seconds. This generation is the first to experience the effect of AI in work, and many are challenged with making their voice heard in their writing. 

Cathedral Catholic English Teacher and NEHS (National English Honor Society) advisor Ms. DeSantis speaks on this issue explaining, “The main issue I have noticed is a drop in students’ confidence in their own writing. It’s so easy to hop onto AI tools like ChatGPT, so students can easily rely on them to generate writing ideas and do the actual writing instead of thinking through the process themselves. Now, I feel like many students seem to doubt their own abilities.”

DeSantis sees the direct impact of how AI use can truly affect students. She then continues by explaining the effect that this has on teachers observing students as she states, “It’s saddening because strong writing comes from engaging in the writing process, not just producing the polished final product. I get it, of course, good grades are nice to have . . . but what’s the point of school if you don’t learn?”

Cathedral Catholic senior Bella Aguilera offers a student perspective. “I notice that when people use AI to write their papers, it sounds robotic,” Aguilera says. “Also, I find that being in school and studying in classes like Sociology, it is easier to tell human vs AI work.” This is why it is crucial that students are showcasing their personality in the form of writing.

When asked what personality she sees in people’s writing, Aguilera explained how “when people write, I get to see their writing style, personality, different learning experiences that have shaped them based on how they have been taught which are very exciting to see.” Writing daily can truly change one’s mindset, leading to personal growth in the future. 

Author Leo Babatua captured this concept in Zen Habits, explaining how “Writing daily forces you to come up with new ideas regularly, and so that forces you to solve the very important problem of where to get ideas. What’s the answer to that problem? Ideas are everywhere! In the people you talk to, in your life experiments, in things you read online, in new ventures and magazines and films and music and novels. But when you write regularly, your eyes are open to these ideas.”

As compared to AI, which auto-generates these ideas, writing daily allows one to explore their creativity and express themselves through their piece.

Many students steer away from writing as they think that they lack actual writing skills. However, there are many ways that one can improve on their writing.

Ms. DeSantis explains her key to becoming a better writer is through reading. She says, “Reading is the best way to improve your writing, in my opinion. When you read, you expose yourself to a variety of new writing techniques and styles that you can use as inspiration for your own writing.”

Learning how to write properly and not rely on AI is crucial in bettering oneself, not only as a student, but as a person in general. 

How can you implement daily writing into your life? 

• Journaling: can be used to process emotions, relieve stress, and capture experiences. 
• Short stories: writing short, creative stories daily can help you think critically and improve your communication skills
• Poetry: If you are looking for a new hobby, poetry can improve brain function, IQ, and overall writing skills. 
• Brainstorming: writing down anything and everything on your mind can help you center your thoughts and express ideas. 

Writing daily can truly organize one’s thoughts and improve one’s overall well-being. Health organization service Kaiser Permanente spoke about the benefits of writing daily explaining how “a study of medical students showed that when they wrote about a training activity they were involved in, it helped them spot mistakes they made, see ways to improve, and feel more prepared for the future.” When one writes, they can visually see the areas of growth in their lives. 

Ultimately, writing daily can truly center one’s mind and aid them in preparing for future successes and challenges that they may face. I believe that everyone should pick a writing method and try to make it a habit in order to improve their mind, body, and overall health.