Veiling verity: on AI and journalism
One of the many joys of working in academia and journalism is the opportunity it provides its students to contribute to the authentic and original ideas, which are produced by a diverse collection of authors and researchers who came before. We build off of their life’s work to find new avenues of thought on the study of human movement and interaction. We rely on this teamwork to find objectivity in our complex societies. The age of AI is deeply concerning to the vitality of not only the humanities, but also to our ability to interact, empathize, enlighten, and discuss with each other in meaningful ways. Upon accepting my role as Features Editor of The Strand’s 69th Volume, I was prepared to acknowledge the very real, very volatile world of AI in student writing. I think students, especially young students, feel pressure to be perfect. Perhaps that is why, when lacking sleep, time, or motivation, they turn to chatbots to create or refine their ideas. Error, however, is not only a human attribute, but a necessary component to any great research, writing, or idea. Now more than ever, I crave real, honest, imperfect work, as it is the beacon of authenticity in such a complicated world. Writing is the first step in disillusioning what AI has veiled.