GoKawiilDartmouth provost admits heavy AI use after detector flags his Washington Post op-ed
An AI-detection tool called Pangram flagged an August Washington Post op-ed by Dartmouth provost Santiago Schnell, which criticized AI cheating, as likely LLM-generated, according to a Semafor report. A follow-up investigation by student paper The Dartmouth found the same tool identified nine other recent works by Schnell as largely AI-written. Schnell confirmed to The Dartmouth that he uses AI for 'language refinement, copyediting, improving clarity and organization,' while maintaining he develops the ideas, research and structure himself.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The episode highlights the murkiness of authorship standards in academia and journalism as AI writing tools become common, especially when a university administrator publicly warns about AI cheating while using AI extensively in his own writing. It also underscores ongoing concerns that AI detectors like Pangram may be unreliable or biased, particularly against non-native English speakers, which complicates efforts to police AI-assisted writing. The case could fuel broader debate about where to draw the line between legitimate editing assistance and ghostwriting by machine.
- Pangram flagged Schnell's Washington Post op-ed and nine other works as likely AI-generated.
- Schnell acknowledges using AI for editing and clarity but says he determines content and structure himself.
- The case raises questions about AI-detector reliability and standards for disclosing AI assistance in professional writing.
Source: thefloatingcontinent.com, 2026-10-16
Published there as: “Credit where credit is due”
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