Developing student writing skills in universities : is GenAI an aid or a hindrance?

Abstract

Much is being said and written about the benefits that AI brings to the workplace. Similarly, many express concerns about the negative impacts that reliance and inappropriate use of AI has on skill development particularly in universities. This essay focuses on the impact of GenAI on the development of students’ written communication skills. I contend that student use of GenAI needs careful management by academics and university authorities to bring about the maximum benefits to the learning process. Various online news portals claim that AI is being used extensively by students in many universities (Bloomberg, 2025). A survey on academic integrity in higher education in the UK found that thousands of students were caught misusing ChatGPT and other AI tools in recent years (Goodier, 2025). In 2023-24, five for every thousand students were found to have cheated using AI tools. Experts claim that these findings are the tip of an iceberg. An educator at a high school on British Columbia claimed that there has been an incremental increase in student usage of AI until this year when it just “exploded” (Perkel, 2025). He claims that “literally all students are using it this year.” [excerpt]