Generated image showing a neural network composed of yarn-like strands woven to form the nodes and edges of a neural network. The network is shown against a background of fabric woven from the same yarn, and the color of the background shades from left to right as a gradient from green-blue to orange. At the right, the output of the neural network is represented by a rectangular sign of black letters against a tan woven background. The letters ask: "Is AGI possible?"

Students interested in substantially exploring generative AI in a way suited to the themes of this course about “information, media, and communication revolutions” can write an “AI Challenge” variant version of any assigned essay in English 25 if they make AI part of the topic of the essay; use AI substantially to write but in ways that still allow the student to contribute control, thought, and creativity; and document how AI was used. (For the difference between “substantial,” high-level uses of AI and routine, low-level uses, see Prof. Liu’s “Intellectual Property and Academic Integrity Guidelines.”)

Below are three kinds of “AI Challenge” assignments students can choose from if they opt for this variant of an essay. Detailed instructions for the process of completing such AI assignments are at the bottom of this page. (For a demonstration of the first stage of the required process — using an AI to write in a way that integrates the topic of AI itself into the assignment — see Demo of Starting an “AI Challenge” Variant of Essay 1 for English 25.

Three Ideas for “AI Challenge” Essays that Substantially Use AI for Essays in English 25

AI Essay + Human Essay

For any essay assignment in English 25, first use AI to generate what you think is a good essay of 600 words meeting Professor Liu’s instructions for the specific assignment but also making AI itself part of the topic.

Then, without using AI, write your own essay of at least 600 words in which you critique and reflect on what the AI wrote, or reflect on what you learned from conducting the AI-exercise that contributes to understanding the topic of the essay assignment. For example, what arguments, evidence, or tone do you think the AI got especially right or wrong, and why? Or how did your own use of AI change your assumptions or conclusions about the essay’s topic?

(For details on the process to follow for writing such an essay, see the instructions at the bottom of this page.)

AI Impostor + Human Essay

For any essay assignment in English 25 that asks you to write about the work of an author (or whose topic can be approached through the writings of an author), first use AI to generate an emulation of that author writing 600 words about that topic in a way that includes AI itself as part of the topic. In essence, create an AI impostor thinking about the topic in relation to AI.

Then, without using AI, write your own additional essay of at least 600 words in which you critique and reflect on what your impostor wrote, or reflect on what you learned from conducting the AI-exercise that contributes to understanding the topic of the essay assignment. For example, where do you think your impostor most, and least, successfully emulated the world view or style of the original author, and why? Or how did your own use of AI change your assumptions or conclusions about the essay’s topic?

(For details on the process to follow for writing such an essay, see the instructions at the bottom of this page.)

AI Dialogue + Human Essay

For any essay assignment in English 25, first use AI to generate what you think is a good dialogue of 600 words between two authors that is relevant to the assignment topic and also includes AI itself as part of the topic. You can ask the AI to use any dialogic form, such as a conversation, an interview, a script for a movie scene, a courtroom interrogation, and so on.)

Then, without using AI, write an essay of at least 600 words in which you critique and reflect on the AI-created dialogue, or reflect on what you learned from conducting the AI-exercise that contributes to understanding the topic of the essay assignment. For example, what arguments, speaker, or other aspect of the dialogue do you think the AI got especially right or wrong, and why? Or how did your own use of AI change your assumptions or conclusions about the essay’s topic?

(For details on the process to follow for writing such an essay, see the instructions at the bottom of this page.)

AI Challenge Instructions

Instructions for "AI Challenge" Variant of Essay Assignments in English 25

Normally, essays assigned in English 25 are 1,200 words long (not including notes and other apparatus). To write an "AI Challenge" variant of an essay assignment as described under "AI Challenges: Three Ideas for Substantially Using AI in Essays for English 25," students must write 600 words by using AI and another 600 words by themselves about the AI-generated work. (Word counts do not include notes, citations, and copies of the student's series of prompts to the AI.) The process for writing an "AI Challenge" variant of an essay assignment in English 25 includes three stages, all of which a student must complete:

Stage 1 (substantially use AI, and include AI itself as a topic):

Go through at least five iterations of a "prompt" (that is, revisions of a prompt) to ask an AI of your choice to generate a 600-word version of the essay assignment that incorporates AI itself in the topic under discussion (advice on prompting an AI: 1 | 2 | 3 ). The AI-generated essay should include notes that cite readings in English 25 and, of course, should be on the theme of the specfic assignment.
When you are happy with the result, copy the final version of the AI-generated essay into a Word document (or a Google Doc that can be exported as a Word document for submission in Canvas). Clearly label this as the "AI Essay" (prefixing the title that the AI gave its essay with that label).

**Stage 2 (do not substantially use AI for this stage):**

In the same Word document, create a section titled "Documentation of AI Use" in which you do the following:

Cite the AI you used in APA or Chicago Style (how to cite). (Because MLA style for citing AI includes the prompt itself, it is likely too verbose to be practical for English 25 "AI Challenge" assignments. )
Reproduce the series of all your prompts. But do not reproduce the AI's responses and generated essays at each interim stage (unless you need to quote some of the interim material to explain the reasons behind the evolution of your prompts as indicated below).
If the reasoning behind the changes you made to your prompts is not obvious, add a brief explanation of that reasoning. In doing so, you can quote short excerpts from interim versions of the AI-created results if you wish; but do not reproduce complete versions.
(Restrict any use of AI for this Stage 2 to low-level or routine uses as described in Prof. Liu's “Intellectual Property and Academic Integrity Guidelines.”)

**Stage 3 (do not substantially use AI for this stage):**

Finally, still in the same Word document, create a section titled "My Thoughts" and write your own essay of at least 600 words in which you critique and reflect on what the AI wrote, or reflect on what you learned from conducting the AI-exercise that contributes to understanding the topic of the essay assignment. Your 600-word essay should not consist just of notes or an aggregation of thoughts; it should be written as an organized, formal short essay with a main thesis or line of thought.
(Restrict any use of AI for this Stage 3 to low-level or routine uses as described in Prof. Liu's “Intellectual Property and Academic Integrity Guidelines.”)

Finally, submit the assignment in Canvas as a single document.

Grading of "AI Challenge" Essays

Your TA will evaluate and grade your "AI Challenge" essay assignment by applying the grading criteria outlined on the English 25 Assignments page to both the AI-generated writing and your own writing, though they will correct or comment in detail only on your own writing and on the overall assignment. (However, even though your TA will not be commenting closely on the AI-created material, the quality of that material is important to the evaluation of your assignment. So you should be motivated to be thoughtful and inventive in prompting your AI to create a good piece of AI writing.)

Image created by ChatGPT 4o with the prompt: "Create an image representing a neural network in generative AI as it is activated and changes weights guided by gradient descent to output a fragment of text about whether AGI is possible. Use subtle colors, textures, and designs in the image. Use images from the human craft of artisanal weaving to influence the visualization of the neural network." (Prompt by Alan Liu, March 27, 2025)