Using AI in research and writing is like flying a plane on autopilot: The pilot must always be in control.
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By John Fisher (assisted by AI)
I recently shared the following message with my students, comparing the use of artificial intelligence in research and writing to a pilot operating a plane on autopilot.
Using artificial intelligence for research and writing is like flying a modern aircraft on autopilot during a long flight. The autopilot can hold altitude, maintain course, and manage routine adjustments with remarkable precision, reducing workload and fatigue. In the same way, AI can handle repetitive cognitive tasks—summarizing sources, generating drafts, organizing ideas, or checking grammar—allowing the researcher or writer to focus on higher-order thinking.
However, no responsible pilot abandons the cockpit. Autopilot does not replace judgment, situational awareness, or accountability. The pilot must continuously monitor instruments, verify assumptions, and be prepared to intervene when conditions change or when the system behaves unexpectedly. Likewise, AI does not understand truth, ethics, or context in the way a human scholar does. It can produce plausible text that is incomplete, biased, or incorrect unless carefully supervised.
People remain responsible for defining the destination, selecting credible sources, interpreting evidence, and making final decisions about tone, argument, and accuracy. When turbulence appears—conflicting data, ethical concerns, or messy analysis—the pilot disengages autopilot and flies manually. Used well, AI is a powerful flight system that enhances performance. Used carelessly, it creates risk. Effective scholarship, like safe aviation, depends on human oversight, expertise, and command.
I expect my students to use AI in their studies—for research, summarizing sources, brainstorming, organizing ideas, analyzing and evaluating, and editing and formatting their work. Throughout this process, students must remain in control by providing appropriate prompts and using their own creativity to generate initial ideas and to write the final work. Students need to learn how to use AI responsibly because these tools will be part of their professional practice in their future careers.
Hashtags: #AIinEducation #AcademicChatter #ResponsibleAI #HigherEd #FutureOfWork #HumanInTheLoop #StudentAIuse
