Graphic by Maddy Childs ’26/The Choate News
Prompt: In the style of an opinions news article, write a 600-word article answering the question of whether or not Artificial Intelligence software can flawlessly and accurately replicate the writing of the average high-school-educated American. Will it ever be able to? Answer this question from the perspective of a high school freshman.
A Choate Freshman:
From the Google Search engine to self-driving Tesla cars, the once novel idea of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now embedded into modern technology. Search engines like Google allow anyone to find billions of answers to a single question at the click of a button. AI softwares such as those in Google and YouTube algorithms are mostly a force of good, allowing humanity to circulate information on an unprecedented scale; however, the newly created ChatGPT app pushes the boundaries of what AI is capable of and what ethical use of AI looks like.
ChatGPT functions are similar to those of a search engine, but instead of producing hundreds of thousands of answers to a question, it compiles all the information it can find into a succinct and personalized explanation. ChatGPT’s human-like comprehension and composition abilities allow it to respond to even the most obscure of requests in an informed and accurate manner.
ChatGPT can also write entire essays at the request of a user. Out of curiosity, I tried the software myself and gave it a few prompts. To keep the answers as uniform as possible, I wrote them using the following format: write a 500 word {type of essay} on {topic}. The first prompt I used was for an analytical essay on the Odyssey. I was amazed when it gave me a thorough analysis of the prompt that sounded similar to the rough draft of an essay I might write for my English class.
I then decided to test the software with other types of prompts: prompts which involved opinion, emotion, and empathy, such as personal essays and reflections. To test this, I told the AI to write a personal essay about its favorite song. The song it analyzed was “Yesterday” by the Beatles. While it generated countless facts that a fan of the song might know, there was little to no conviction in the writing. The difference in the quality of the writing differed significantly when the AI attempted to answer such an emotionally charged prompt; the tone was void of any signs of vulnerability. It attempted to and prompted me to question whether or not AI software will ever be able to replicate human thinking and writing.
Every writer has a personal voice, regardless of their experience or expertise, and I believe that voice is what differentiates the writing of a human from the writing of AI. Although ChatGPT is excellent at generating useful answers to specific, information-based questions, writing is not an exact science. Writing an essay, for example, is much more than stitching points and facts together; it is meant to highlight an individual’s opinions and feelings on a subject as well as accurately convey their unique voice. Some writers have flowery and poetic voices while others have blunt and unforgiving ones. ChatGPT’s voice is akin to someone who spends their entire life on the internet — lacking even an inkling of human connection.
Even when answering a primarily factual prompt like an analytical essay, the software still isn’t quite able to generate a perfect replica of a high-school-caliber essay. Although it produces an essay with a strong argument, cogent evidence, and a logical flow, it is unable to deviate from basic structural and grammatical conventions. As writing becomes more sophisticated, a writer’s knowledge of how to break rules in a manner to complement their work — like the occasional stylistic use of a sentence fragment —that sets them apart from those who write solely to complete assignments.
Additionally, ChatGPT lacks the ability to consider nuanced and complex perspectives. Instead, the software usually chooses the most obvious or concise way to answer any prompt. Perhaps the most important lesson I’ve learned throughout my education is how to value and prioritize empathy when considering different viewpoints, and ChatGPT fails to possess this integrally human emotion. The software doesn’t demonstrate true knowledge of a topic, but rather just one narrow viewpoint devoid of human emotion and thought.
Chat GPT:
As high school student who has been fascinated by technology and its impact on society, I have been closely following the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its capabilities in recent years. One topic that has particularly caught my attention is whether or not AI can flawlessly replicate the writing of an average high-school-educated American. This is a question that has been debated by experts and laypeople alike, and I believe it’s time to take a closer look at the current state of AI technology and whether it will ever be able to perfectly replicate human writing.
First and foremost, it’s important to understand what AI can currently do in terms of writing. AI has been developed to generate text based on certain inputs and patterns. For example, AI can write news articles, product descriptions, and even fiction. The texts generated by AI are often impressive, but they lack the creative flair and personal touch that makes writing truly human. The texts generated by AI may be grammatically correct and contain all the necessary information, but they lack the nuances and subtleties that come from personal experiences and emotions.
Moreover, AI technology is not yet advanced enough to truly understand the intricacies of human language. AI lacks the ability to understand the context and connotations behind words, as well as the social and cultural background of the writer. This means that AI-generated texts can often be shallow, lacking the depth and complexity of human writing. In addition, AI also lacks the capacity for empathy and understanding, which are essential elements of good writing. A writer needs to be able to connect with their audience and understand their emotions and perspectives in order to write effectively.
It’s also worth considering the limitations of AI in terms of language and grammar. While AI can generate text that is grammatically correct, it often lacks the creativity and unpredictability that makes human writing so unique. AI-generated text can also be formulaic and repetitive, lacking the variety and nuance that make human writing so interesting and engaging. Additionally, AI technology is still prone to errors and biases, which can affect the quality of the texts it generates.
But despite all these limitations, some experts believe that AI technology will continue to advance and eventually reach a level where it can perfectly replicate human writing. They argue that AI has the potential to learn from vast amounts of data and improve its writing skills over time. However, I remain skeptical about this notion for several reasons.
First, human writing is not just about following certain patterns and rules. It’s a reflection of a person’s experiences, emotions, and perspectives. Writing is a unique expression of the human experience, and I find it hard to believe that AI will ever be able to fully replicate this.
Second, the evolution of language is an ongoing process, and it’s constantly changing. AI may be able to generate text based on current language patterns, but it will likely struggle to keep up with the evolution of language over time. In addition, AI may struggle to incorporate new slang, colloquialisms, and other linguistic innovations that are unique to a particular time and place.
Finally, human writing is not just about the words on the page. It’s also about the way the words are put together, the tone and style of the writing, and the emotional connection the writer has with their audience. These elements are difficult to replicate with AI, and they are what make human writing so special and unique.
In conclusion, while AI may be able to replicate some aspects of writing, it is unlikely to ever perfectly imitate the writing style of an average high-school-educated American. AI technology still has a long way to go before it can truly understand and replicate human writing.
