
Writer, teacher, and book #ghostwriter. Dad, #hockey nut, #U2 fanatic. The order is variable.
Joined August 2011
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I’m sure it’s an isolated incident.
bostonglobe.com/2026/09/25/m…
Fifty years later. Still going strong. Still the best band ever. #U250
👀
Absolutely beyond parody. Dartmouth’s provost has been turning in 70-100-percent AI-written work (in academic journals, newspapers, and even in email correspondence!) since LLMs came out, the student paper reports. He even used AI to write an op-ed about how universities are dealing with AI cheating.
From arguably the smartest voice out there talking about AI and its destructive presence in higher-ed - @Tyler_A_Harper. theatlantic.com/culture/arch…
Or, more narrowly: When no one has properly learned how to write carefully and thoughtfully... how will anyone even have the cognitive skills to assess or verify AI's written output? (We've already felt this impact from the 50-year decline in reading.)
This paper gives a fancy name to a problem you can already feel in your bones
"The Tragedy of the Cognitive Commons." Checking AI output requires deep expertise. Deep expertise comes from doing grunt work for years. And grunt work is the first thing AI eats
So we're building systems that need expert supervision while dismantling the only known process for making experts
The paper calls the shared pool of human expertise the "cognitive commons." Every profession drinks from it. Nobody's refilling it.
By eliminating junior roles, each company is acting totally rationally, and the collective result: a profession that can't catch AI's mistakes anymore because it never learned to do the work in the first place
Who checks AI's homework in 15 years?
Some Kids are Alright? My "Mini-Mester" Teaching at the Intersection of Al and Writing michaeldowding.substack.com/…
Michael Dowding retweeted
As we head for Miami, we want to say a heartfelt thank you to the city & people of Boston.
You’ve made us feel more than welcome in the time we’ve spent with you; you’ve made us feel part of your incredible city.
Thank you for your generosity and your wonderful hospitality.
💙
Soccer or football? The latest AP Stylebook Online Topical Guide covers 2026 World Cup terms. #Sum26CM331 apstylebook.com/topical_most…
Ok, sure. Maybe it can award the prizes, too… bostonglobe.com/2026/05/21/a…
Michael Dowding retweeted
Berkeley law has introduced a new, much stricter AI policy
law.berkeley.edu/wp-content/…
Out now: The Friction Imperative Episode No. 2: "Are We Focusing on Process or Output?" I hope you'll read and share your thoughts. #GenAI #WritingProcess open.substack.com/pub/michae…
Michael Dowding retweeted
The first major university that publicly commits to a total AI ban in its undergrad teaching (no AI in class, in creating syllabi or class prep, creating & completing assignments, or grading) and makes that part of its brand will see a major surge in applications & enrollment.
Michael Dowding retweeted
My grad school Final Exam for one class was typing a 15-page paper, supervised in a computer lab. We were allowed one page of hand written notes, no electronics, no internet access, 8 hours to complete. And the prompt was not given to us until the day of the exam.
And it had to be APA format with references contrasting two books of required reading. The books were not allowed into the exam lab.
Ready for yet another Substack? I'd be honored if you'd consider checking out "The Friction Imperative." I'm dishing out sometimes-contrarian thoughts about the role of generative AI in college writing instruction. Let's hear your thoughts, too. #GenAI open.substack.com/pub/michae…
“… and every guy in this room wants to thank their mother for getting them their first pair skates!” - Coach Harry Sinden
In "AI is destroying education, and BU is accelerating the process," student Dawson Maska shines the spotlight on the use of AI in education based on his experience as both a student and teaching assistant. BU scrupulously avoids this perspective. dailyfreepress.com/04/30/23/…
Michael Dowding retweeted
You've been asking for this one for years. We heard you.
We announced a change in AP style at the @ACESEditors conference today: It's now healthcare, one word, in all uses.
We also changed childcare and daycare, closing them up to one word rather than two.
This guidance is live on AP Stylebook Online now.


















