AI Cheat Scandal: Blue Books Make a Comeback as Schools Fight Back Against ChatGPT Takeover

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing not only the workplace; it's silently tearing apart the very fabric of America's educational system. While students have near-limitless access to technology like ChatGPT, they are choosing to do away with critical thinking altogether, having machines write their essays, complete their homework, and even do their take-home tests.

Educators, in turn, are reaching for an old-fashioned tool to bring back academic integrity: the blue book.

Blue Books Experience Unexpected Comeback

AI Cheat Scandal: Blue Books Make a Comeback as Schools

University bookstores nationwide are reporting a huge surge in blue book sales—those tiny, staple-bound essay books feared by students of the past. A Wall Street Journal Report says that blue books sold more than 30% higher last year at Texas A&M University. The University of Florida experienced a 50% increase, and the University of California, Berkeley reported an 80% rise during the past two school years.

This surge in demand isn't nostalgia driven. It's a practical move in the face of a growing academic crisis. Blue books offer an analog solution to a digital problem: they force students to handwrite answers in real time, making it virtually impossible to rely on AI-generated responses.

AI's Role in the Decline of Student Effort

With minimal prompts, ChatGPT can write solid essays, respond to sophisticated questions, and mimic research analysis. These are skills that encourage students to avoid learning altogether.

A few years back, a study claimed that ChatGPT can write better school essays than students.

A recent survey indicated that 89% of college students confessed to using AI tools like ChatGPT for assignments. This growing trend in digital addiction is diluting the value of real education and producing a generation less able to think critically.

Why Teachers Are Turning Back the Clock

Gizmodo writes that teachers understand they're fighting a war for mental integrity, and the blue book could be their last line of defense. Roaring Spring Paper Products, the firm behind most of the blue books on the market, has acknowledged a spurt in sales that directly correlates with fears about AI.

However, not everyone is convinced that this strategy is sufficient. Philip D. Bunn, assistant professor at Covenant College, contends that in-class essays can't match the depth of the old research papers.

He said that "something serious is lost" when students are denied the chance to explore a topic deeply in an environment away from timed, controlled circumstances.

The Limits of Analog Defense in a Digital World

Whereas blue book revival is a definite sign that educators are resisting the abuse of AI, it's a temporary solution. AI-detection software breaks down, and students still find ways to cheat with impunity.

Without more robust policies and even laws controlling the application of AI in education, educational institutions will continue to lag when it comes to developing actual learning.

Aside from becoming too dependent on AI, students could also weaken their creativity in their writing when they frequently use it.