AI Policy

Last updated: October 22, 2025

Inspired by Andrew Heiss' AI usage page, I thought I'd write up a little bit of my thinking on using AI. Generally, I am quite skeptical of AI. Even the name "AI" I do not like, but it has become commonplace enough so that is the term I will use.

Writing

I am diametrically opposed to using AI to write. AI is designed to create statistically-likely chains of text by analyzing vast troves of data. The text produced might look like something that someone would write, but there is no thought behind it. Even for seemingly menial tasks (looking at you email) I find it offensive. Put another way, "why would I bother to read something someone else couldn't be bothered to write?"

Media

I can't think of anything I'd like to look at less than images made by an algorithm.

Research

I don't use AI for research in any capacity. Searching for and reading new papers is honestly my favorite part of my job. The thought of having some machine go out and find journal articles and then "summarize" them for me ruins the best part of research. Not only that, but having a machine present you with conclusions from a paper

Education

Ah, I see American higher education is having another "school online" moment. It already bothers me that AI is getting shoved into everything, and seeing university leaders race to inject AI into every facet of learning is no exception.

I don't think AI has any place in learning. Learning is a struggle, it's a process of trying things, failing (hopefully not catastrophically), and gaining insight from your failure. Having somethign short-circuit that process by simply explaining the solution doesn't do you any favors. As writer Ted Chiang says, "Using ChatGPT to complete assignments is like bringing a forklift into the weight room; you will never improve your cognitive fitness that way."