A Low-Stakes Assignment Incorporating ChatGPT
ENG 429: Writing Humor
Ryan Wepler, Director of the Graduate Writing Lab at Yale University
In this low-stakes, ungraded writing assignment, Dr. Wepler asks students to compare their own writing to that generated by ChatGPT and to consider what, if anything, makes a human voice distinctive.
Choose one of your previous essays (1a, 1b, 1c, or 1d) and ask ChatGPT to write an essay with the same premise as the one you wrote. You’ll need to include the word count (500–700 words), a request to make the essay funny, a mildly detailed description of your concept, and a few key details that the essay should include. It’s okay to try a few times, or ask the chatbot for follow-up adjustments to the essay.
Once you’ve received your response, read and compare the robot essay to the one you wrote. Then write a short reflection describing (1) how ChatGPT’s take on your premise is different from your own, and (2) what feels distinctive about your human comedy voice when compared with the voice of a robot comedian. (The reflection is all you need to post below.)
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