Johns Hopkins professor says he’s fine with students using AI to cheat

Steve Hanke, who has taught applied economics at Johns Hopkins University for nearly 60 years, recently told Business Insider that he has “absolutely no problem with AI and students.” Hanke, who also served on President Reagan’s Council of Economic Advisers, described himself as an “old fox” who finds it “very easy” to differentiate between student work and chatbot-generated output. Hanke noted that what he sees as the poor writing skills of today’s students, even at elite universities, as one of the main reason AI subscribers stand out. It’s blatant when a student submission has been generated by AI,” he said, adding that his familiarity with students’ knowledge of economics makes it “pretty easy to spot” when work doesn’t match their skill level.“The only problem that AI poses is that it requires the old fox to be on guard, more than would have been the case sans AI,” Hanke explained.