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The book report is now a thing of the past. Take-home tests and essays are becoming obsolete. Student use of artificial intelligence has become so prevalent, high school and college educators say, that to assign writing outside of the classroom is like asking students to cheat. The cheating is off the charts. Its the worst Ive seen in my entire career, says Casey Cuny, who has taught English for 23 years. Educators are no longer wondering if students will outsource schoolwork to AI chatbots. Anything you send home, you have to assume is being AIed. The question now is how schools can adapt, because many of the teaching and assessment tools that have been used for generations are no longer effective. As AI technology rapidly improves and becomes more entwined with daily life, it is transforming how students learn and study and how teachers teach, and its creating new confusion over what constitutes academic dishonesty. We have to ask ourselves, what is cheating? says Cuny, a 2024 recipient of Californias Teacher of the Year award. Because I think the lines are getting blurred. Cunys students at Valencia High School in Southern California now do most writing in class. He monitors student laptop screens from his desktop, using software that lets him lock down their screens or block access to certain sites. Hes also integrating AI into his lessons and teaching students how to use AI as a study aid to get kids learning with AI instead of cheating with AI. In rural Oregon, high school teacher Kelly Gibson has made a similar shift to in-class writing. She is also incorporating more verbal assessments to have students talk through their understanding of assigned reading. I used to give a writing prompt and say, In two weeks, I want a five-paragraph essay, says Gibson. These days, I cant do that. Thats almost begging teenagers to cheat. Take, for example, a once typical high school English assignment: Write an essay that explains the relevance of social class in The Great Gatsby. Many students say their first instinct is now to ask ChatGPT for help brainstorming. Within seconds, ChatGPT yields a list of essay ideas, plus examples and quotes to back them up. The chatbot ends by asking if it can do more: Would you like help writing any part of the essay? I can help you draft an introduction or outline a paragraph! Students are uncertain when AI usage is out of bounds Students say they often turn to AI with good intentions for things like research, editing or help reading difficult texts. But AI offers unprecedented temptation, and its sometimes hard to know where to draw the line. College sophomore Lily Brown, a psychology major at an East Coast liberal arts school, relies on ChatGPT to help outline essays because she struggles putting the pieces together herself. ChatGPT also helped her through a freshman philosophy class, where assigned reading felt like a different language until she read AI summaries of the texts. Sometimes I feel bad using ChatGPT to summarize reading, because I wonder, is this cheating? Is helping me form outlines cheating? If I write an essay in my own words and ask how to improve it, or when it starts to edit my essay, is that cheating? Her class syllabi say things like: Dont use AI to write essays and to form thoughts, she says, but that leaves a lot of grey area. Students say they often shy away from asking teachers for clarity because admitting to any AI use could flag them as a cheater. Schools tend to leave AI policies to teachers, which often means that rules vary widely within the same school. Some educators, for example, welcome the use of Grammarly.com, an AI-powered writing assistant, to check grammar. Others forbid it, noting the tool also offers to rewrite sentences. Whether you can use AI or not depends on each classroom. That can get confusing, says Valencia 11th grader Jolie Lahey. She credits Cuny with teaching her sophomore English class a variety of AI skills like how to upload study guides to ChatGPT and have the chatbot quiz them, and then explain problems they got wrong. But this year, her teachers have strict No AI policies. Its such a helpful tool. And if were not allowed to use it that just doesnt make sense, Lahey says. It feels outdated. Schools are introducing guidelines, gradually Many schools initially banned the use of AI after ChatGPT launched in late 2022. But views on the role of artificial intelligence in education have shifted dramatically. The term AI literacy has become a buzzword of the back-to-school season, with a focus on how to balance the strengths of AI with its risks and challenges. Over the summer, several colleges and universities convened their AI task forces to draft more detailed guidelines or provide faculty with new instructions. The University of California, Berkeley emailed all faculty new AI guidance that instructs them to include a clear statement on their syllabus about course expectations around AI use. The guidance offered language for three sample syllabus statements for courses that require AI, ban AI in and out of class, or allow some AI use. In the absence of such a statement, students may be more likely to use these technologies inappropriately, the email said, stressing that AI is creating new confusion about what might constitute legitimate methods for completing student work. Carnegie Mellon University has seen a huge uptick in academic responsibility violations due to AI, but often students arent aware theyve done anything wrong, says Rebekah Fitzsimmons, chair of the AI faculty advising committee at the universitys Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy. For example, one student who is learning English wrote an assignment in his native language and used DeepL, an AI-powered translation tool, to translate his work to English. But he didnt realize the platform also altered his language, which was flagged by an AI detector. Enforcing academic integrity policies has become more complicated, since use of AI is hard to spot and even harder to prove, Fitzsimmons said. Faculty are allowed flexibility when they believe a student has unintentionally crossed a line, but are now more hesitant to point out violations because they don’t want to accuse students unfairly. Students worry that if they are falsely accused, there is no way to prove their innocence. Over the summer, Fitzsimmons helped draft detailed new guidelines for students and faculty that strive to create more clarity. Faculty have been told a blanket ban on AI is not a viable policy unless instructors make changes to the way they teach and assess students. A lot of faculty are doing away with take-home exams. Some have returned to pen and paper tests in class, she said, and others have moved to flipped classrooms, where homewok is done in class. Emily DeJeu, who teaches communication courses at Carnegie Mellons business school, has eliminated writing assignments as homework and replaced them with in-class quizzes done on laptops in a lockdown browser that blocks students from leaving the quiz screen. To expect an 18-year-old to exercise great discipline is unreasonable,” DeJeu said. “Thats why its up to instructors to put up guardrails. The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. Jocelyn Gecker, Associated Press
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A few hours ago, basketball superstar Caitlin Clark shared bad news with fans across the globe: She wont be returning to basketball this season. Clark suffered a groin injury almost two months ago, shortly before the WNBA All Star Game. While she remained hopeful, and spent hours in the gym in an effort to return, the end decision was to pull back. Disappointed isnt a big enough word to describe how Im feeling, Clark wrote on Instagram. Clark then said the following: This has been incredibly frustrating, but even in the bad, there is good. The way the fans continued to show up for me, and for the Fever, brought me so much joy and important perspective. I am so proud of how this team has only gotten stronger through adversity this year. Even in the bad, there is good. With those seven words, Clark teaches an important lesson in emotional intelligence, the ability to understand and manage emotions. Specifically, this is an example of what is known in psychology as cognitive reframing. What is reframing, and why is it so valuable? Most important, how can you use it to your own benefit? Lets take a closer look at this powerful tool, see how Clark is using it, and analyze the takeaways for you. (Sign up here for my free email emotional intelligence course.) What is reframing? According to the American Psychological Association, to reframe is to reconceptualize a problem by seeing it from a different perspective. Altering the conceptual or emotional context of a problem often serves to alter perceptions of the problems difficulty and to open up possibilities for solving it, says the APA. Reframing is valuable because everyone suffers setbacks, sometimes significant ones. When you do, its easy to get caught in a flurry of negative thoughts and emotions. Not only can this adversely affect your mental health, it can also keep you from progressing. But reframing helps you control your thoughts, which, in turn, helps you manage your emotions. It helps you build resilience, the ability to fight through challenges, bounce back, and move forward. In her Instagram post, Clark used words like frustrating and disappointed. Feelings like this, if allowed to run wild, could cause Clark to give up on her rehab, at least temporarily. They might cause her to isolate herself from others. Or they could even cause her to rush her return, leading to an even more significant or permanent injury. Instead, by looking for the good in a bad situation, Clark reframes it. The way the fans continued to show up for me, and for the Fever, brought me so much joy and important perspective, Clark says. I am so proud of how this team has only gotten stronger through adversity this year. Reframing in this way helps Clark shift her perspective from frustration and disappointment to gratitude and joy. Instead of isolating herself, she strengthens the connections between herself and her team, and her fans. And instead of focusing on the present difficulty, she looks ahead. After all, if the Indiana Fever can make the playoffs without their key facilitator (and one of their best players), imagine how much stronger theyll be when she returns. How can you use reframing for your benefit? I know what you’re thinking: Reframing sounds easy. Anyone can do it. But heres the thing: We dont. In my experience working with leaders, I find that, while some tend to naturally reframe, many don’t. And even for those who do, there are always situations and circumstances that make it difficult for them to do so. The good news is, there are techniques to help you reframe when you need it most. One uses a tool I like to call the rule of reframing. The rule of reframing involves using questions to break the cycle of negative thoughts. If you suffer a major setback, ask yourself questions like: How serious is this? How will I feel about it in five weeks, five months, five years, or even 50 years? Although this situation is not ideal, what good things have come (or could come) out of the bad? What aspects of this situation are in my control? What aspects are out of my control? How can I focus on the former, and not the latter? How can I use the difficulty? Questions like these are helpful because, while you have little control over instinctive thoughts, you can control how long you dwell on those thoughts, and you have the ability to change those thoughts. In doing so, youll also manage your emotions. So, the next time you suffer a setback, take a page out of Caitlin Clarks playbook and remind yourself: Even in the bad, there is good. Because setbacks dont mean failure. Sometimes, they can even lead to bigger and better things. By Justin Bariso This article originally appeared on Fast Company‘s sister publication, Inc. Inc. is the voice of the American entrepreneur. We inspire, inform, and document the most fascinating people in business: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters that represent the most dynamic force in the American economy.
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The dust has barely settled on the Paramount Skydance merger but the newly merged media company reportedly has another merger in its sights. The David Ellison-led company reportedly wants to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, which itself is currently in the process of breaking itself up into smaller media companies. Heres what you need to know about reports of a Paramount Skydance-Warner Bros. Discovery merger, including the prominent media properties Paramount Skydance would own if the deal went through. Whats happened? Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Paramount Skydance was preparing a bid to buy its rival Warner Bros. Discovery, citing anonymous sources. CNBC and other outlets also reported the rumored plan. The deal, according to WSJ, would be a majority all-cash one that would bid for the entirety of Warner Bros. Discovery, including its famed movie studio and its myriad cable networks. It would also include the HBO Max streaming service. Fast Company has reached out to Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Skydance for comment. If the deal were to be approved by Warner Bros. Discovery and its shareholders, it would make the combined media giants one of the largest entities ever in the U.S. media space. It would also come at a time when the media landscape continues to go through massive shifts as streaming continues its disruption of both the cable and network television landscape and Hollywood and the movie theater experience. The consolidation of the two companies would also, somewhat ironically, stymie Warner Bros. Discovery’s stated efforts to de-consolidate itself, and thus the industry. In 2022, WarnerMedia and Discovery merged, but by 2024, the newly formed Warner Bros. Discovery announced plans to uncouple many of the companys assets. A merger between Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Skydance would put an end to that decoupling, as Paramount Skydance is reportedly set to acquire all of Warner Bros. Discoverys current assets. A ticking clock However, any such merger deal would be under a ticking clock. Thats because Warner Bros. Discovery has said that it expects to split itself into two publicly traded companies by April 2026, just eight months from now. Warner Bros. Discovery intends to separate its media assets by siloing its streaming and Hollywood studio divisions into a new Streaming & Studios company and putting its cable networks into another Global Networks company. By operating as two distinct and optimized companies in the future, we are empowering these iconic brands with the sharper focus and strategic flexibility they need to compete most effectively in todays evolving media landscape, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said in a June announcement. Paramount Skydance is led by CEO David Ellison, son of tech billionaire Larry Ellison, who reportedly wants all of Warner Bros. Discovery. Of course, even if Paramount Skydance manages to convince Warner Bros. Discovery and its investors to stop the split and instead sell, there is no guarantee the merger would go through. Federal regulators would likely have deep concerns over the merger and the consolidation of two of the biggest media companies in the world. What IP and assets would a combined Paramount Skydance-Warner Bros. Discovery own? If the merger were to go through, the newly merged Paramount Skydance-Warner Bros. Discovery would own many of the most high-profile, well-known television and film assets in the world. These include those currently owned by Paramount Skydance, which include: Paramount Pictures Paramount Television Studios Nickelodeon Movies Paramount+ Pluto TV BET CBS CBS Studios CBS News Comedy Central Nickelodeon Showtime VH1 Additionally, the newly formed company would own all of Warner Bros. Discoverys assets, which include: Warner Bros. Pictures Warner Bros. Television Studios Warner Bros. Home Entertainment DC Studios Turner Entertainment Co. Turner Classic Movies New Line Cinema Animal Planet Cartoon Network HBO HBO Max Cinemax CNN Discovery Channel Travel Channel TBS TNT TNT Sports Warner Bros. Theme Parks Warner Bros. Games DC Comics How have the stock prices of both companies reacted to the news? Very well. When news of Paramount Skydances interest in Warner Bros. Discovery broke yesterday, each companys stock price soared. Shares in Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBD) closed nearly 29% higher yesterday. Today, WBD shares are up another 8% to $17.52 as of the time of this writing. Shares in Paramount Skydance Corporation (Nasdaq: PSKY) closed more than 15.5% higher yesterday on the news. Currently, PSKY shares are up another $5.3% to around $18.40 per share today. At today’s stock prices, Warner Bros. Discovery is worth around $43 billion, and Paramount Skydance is worth around $20 billion. It is unknown how much Paramount Skydance would offer for Warner Bros. Discovery.
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