AI obliterating creativity

In my 11th year of teaching, I face a new problem: the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in my writing class.

Some of my students, who rarely speak during discussions, suddenly hand in a copy worthy of the Malaysian University English Test (MUET) bands 5 or 6 with little to no blemishes in between paragraphs, sentences and expressions.

Naturally, I am happy but a bit sceptical. Using an AI programme is not "plagiarism" in the conventional sense. The application creates material based on a topic and a set of parameters, which can be customised to the writer's preferences.

Students can use AI to draft their paper at a fraction of the time it would typically take to compose an essay.