ChatGPT has virtually spoiled academia. American college students are very prone to utilizing AI for all tasks, including homework and exams! Universities are going back to basics: the good old handwritten exams in blue books. And it’s working like a charm.
The Wall Street Journal’s article dug in and found that blue book sales are going through the roof. Texas A&M saw a 30% jump, the University of Florida’s sales increased by nearly 50%, and UC Berkeley? A massive 80% rise over two years.
A recent survey as cited by WSJ shows that 89% of American students have used ChatGPT for their homework assignments. That’s the entire class copying en masse! Meanwhile, AI detection software is proving to be completely useless as most bypass tools are made redundant every day.
Professors are now making students write everything by hand, just like we desis have been doing forever. No phones, no laptops, no AI – just pen, paper, and your own dimaag.
AI Cheating is So Out of Hand In America’s Schools That the Blue Books Are Coming Back https://t.co/zZ8X75Uf9p
— Gizmodo (@Gizmodo) May 28, 2025
Reactions poured in. Here are a handful. “If you did engineering, math or physics blue books never left,” remarked one user.
Kids’ education should be done out in the woods where there is no phone reception. They should have to build their own classroom with materials they find; and hunt, fish and forage for their lunch. They can carry drinking water, but that’s it,” wrote another.
“You can also just let people type, but do it in a proctored computer lab that doesn’t have access to the Internet,” yet another user suggested.
“Pen and paper shouldn’t have left the classroom in the first place. Like, kids already stare enough at screens when they’re at home,” quipped one. “Maybe it will make them get rid of the stupid laptops,” jibed another.
One user shared how their daughter’s school is implementing an NO AI policy for homeworks and tests.
My 11 year old daughter has to do all assignments on paper and they have to be handwritten because literally every student in the class without exception was using ai for assignments on the computer.”
Pen and Paper is back. Dune makes so much sense now. pic.twitter.com/noAciFtccE
— sphinx (@protosphinx) May 29, 2025
If you did engineering, math or physics blue books never left.
— soul 🇨🇦 (@Soul0Engineer) May 29, 2025
Kids education should be done out in the woods where there is no phone reception.
They should have to build their own classroom with materials they find; and hunt, fish and forage for their lunch.
They can carry in drinking water, but that’s it.
— wholistic (@wholisticguy) May 30, 2025
You can also just let people type, but do it in a proctored computer lab that doesn’t have access to the Internet.
— ⍼ John Nicholson ⍼ (@Lost_Signal) May 29, 2025
This is great, pen and paper shouldn’t have left the classroom in the first place. Like, kids already stare enough at screens when they’re at home.
— Lord Hernafikiel (@LHernafikiel) May 30, 2025
Maybe it will make them get rid of the stupid laptops
— Smiley (@SmileyElmore) May 30, 2025
My 11 year old daughter has to do all assignments on paper and they have to be handwritten because literally every student in the class without exception was using ai for assignments on the computer 😂
— Saylo (@polishsportsman) May 30, 2025
Cover: Patrick Gawande / Mashable India