The rise of generative AI has transformed nearly every sector in society—higher education perhaps chief among them. Sidney I. Dobrin’s AI and Writing is an indispensable guide to this new landscape, preparing students to use GenAI both responsibly and effectively—skills now essential for academic and career success. It addresses key questions: Can these tools be used ethically? What writing tasks do they best support? Where do they fall short? Rather than chasing ever-changing technical specifics, Dobrin focuses on durable, transferable skills in the context of rapid technological change. He also confronts disquieting ethical issues such as author integrity, plagiarism, copyright, bias, and the material consequences of AI. Discussion questions, writing prompts, and short readings appear throughout.
The second edition includes more classroom activities and exercises for integrating AI across all phases of the writing process. It includes advice on prompt engineering, and material on workplace readiness and platform bias has been expanded.
Preface for Instructors
Preface for Students
Part I: Understanding Generative AI
1. Change
2. Generative AI
3. Integrity
Part II: Opportunities and Applications
4. Writing with GenAI
5. Prompts
6. Visuals
7. Contexts of Use
8. Workplace Readiness
Part III: Challenges
9. Bias
10. Materiality
Sidney I. Dobrin is Professor and Chair of the Department of English at the University of Florida, and for ten years directed its writing program. He is the Founding Director of the Trace Innovation Initiative, serves as a Digital Thought Leader for Adobe, and is a member of the Florida Institute for National Security, which is part of the University of Florida’s Artificial Intelligence Initiative. Dobrin is the author and editor of numerous books and articles about writing, technology, and ecology.
• A fascinating yet concise introduction to the history and concepts of Generative AI (GenAI)
• Practical discussion of how GenAI can be usefully applied to composition, both in college writing and beyond
• Robust examples and numerous exercises for analysis, practice, and discussion
• Discussion prompts and thought-provoking questions addressing:
o functional aspects of GenAI
o critical and ethical issues
o academic, professional, civic, and personal uses
