Tennessee Tech Professors Explore AI's Impact on Writing

English faculty blend AI tools with critical thinking to examine technology's effects on language and authorship.

Apr. 6, 2026 at 4:06pm

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A highly detailed, glowing 3D illustration of a futuristic neural network or AI infrastructure, with intricate circuits, pulsing lights, and a sense of technological complexity, conceptually representing the power and potential of AI while also hinting at the philosophical questions surrounding its impact on human expression.As AI transforms the landscape of writing and communication, Tennessee Tech's English faculty are guiding students to critically examine the technology's capabilities and limitations.Cookeville Today

As artificial intelligence transforms how people write, research and communicate, faculty in the English department at Tennessee Tech University are not avoiding the technology. Instead, they are bringing AI into the classroom and challenging students to examine its implications for writing, language and the role of the human voice. Professors are having students test the capabilities of AI while learning to analyze and think critically about what it produces, exploring both the benefits and pitfalls of the technology.

Why it matters

The integration of AI into the writing process raises important questions about authorship, bias, and the role of human intention. By examining these issues in the classroom, Tennessee Tech's English department is helping students develop a nuanced understanding of how AI is reshaping the landscape of communication and creativity.

The details

In composition and linguistics classes, professor Paulina Bounds has her students explore the capabilities of AI writing tools, as well as the potential for inaccurate or biased information. Associate professor Mari Ramler incorporates AI experimentation into her professional and technical communication courses, asking students to critically analyze the strengths and weaknesses of AI-generated content. Graduate student Whitney Stevens even created her own AI writer, 'Sinclair,' to study the differences between human and machine-authored creative writing. Meanwhile, associate professor Erin Hoover is examining AI's impact on authorship in her general education literature course, challenging students to move beyond surface-level opinions and engage with the complex philosophical questions surrounding AI-generated or collaborative work.

  • This fall, Tennessee Tech's English department will offer several sections of a new digital literacy course that fulfills a general education requirement.
  • Earlier this year, graduate student Whitney Stevens completed a research project examining AI's capabilities in creative writing.

The players

Paulina Bounds

Professor of linguistics at Tennessee Tech University.

Mari Ramler

Rhetorician and associate professor of English at Tennessee Tech University.

Whitney Stevens

A master's degree student in English at Tennessee Tech University who created an AI writer named 'Sinclair' to study the differences between human and machine-authored creative writing.

Erin Hoover

Associate professor of English at Tennessee Tech University who teaches creative writing with a specialization in poetry.

Tennessee Tech University

A public university located in Cookeville, Tennessee.

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What they’re saying

“I think it is important that we have serious discussions about it. We don't want to look at it blindly as just something cool you can use; we want students to explore what is really behind it.”

— Paulina Bounds, Professor of linguistics

“By the end of the semester, I consistently see students reach a point where they say, 'Okay, now I understand how to use AI effectively, but I also understand the boundaries I'm comfortable with.' They also think more deeply about their voice and individuality in their writing.”

— Paulina Bounds, Professor of linguistics

“I ask them to consider, 'What were you better at? What was it better at? What was a wash? What surprised you?' They see that this is a tool with faults. It's something I can't just tell them — they have to experience it.”

— Mari Ramler, Rhetorician and associate professor of English

“People were given stories to read and asked which they preferred, not knowing one was written by AI. The research found they often preferred AI-written stories — but with one caveat. Those stories were typically in genres like sci-fi, fantasy and romance. Readers made a clear distinction between what entertained them and what moved them. AI writing was more entertaining, but it didn't linger like writing from human authors.”

— Whitney Stevens, Master's degree student in English

“We're not saying AI is good, and we're not saying it's bad. We're asking, 'How are authors using it?' and 'Where are we at this point in time?' These texts help us consider both the possibilities and limitations of AI-generated or collaborative work. More often than not, we return to the importance of human intention.”

— Erin Hoover, Associate professor of English

What’s next

This fall, Tennessee Tech's English department will offer several sections of a new digital literacy course that fulfills a general education requirement, helping ensure all freshmen gain a strong foundation in understanding this rapidly evolving technology.

The takeaway

By integrating AI into their curriculum and challenging students to think critically about its implications, Tennessee Tech's English faculty are ensuring that the next generation of writers and communicators will have a nuanced understanding of how this transformative technology is reshaping the landscape of language and creativity.