Blue books make a comeback at colleges in the AI era. Why not "chisels," critic mocks
TL;DR
US colleges are bringing back handwritten 'blue book' exams to curb AI-generated cheating after ChatGPT's 2022 launch upended academic writing. Professor Dan Melzer (UC Davis) argues educators cannot fully outsmart ChatGPT because students will always find workarounds. Professor Steven Krause (Eastern Michigan University) says the narrative of widespread AI cheating is largely a myth. Handwritten exams disadvantage certain learner groups and fail to reflect the skills modern employers actually want.
Nauti's Take
Blue books as a response to ChatGPT feel like typewriters as a response to the internet. The reflex is understandable but shortsighted.
Instead of asking how to keep AI out of exams, the real question is: how do you design assessments where AI confers no unfair advantage — because original thinking, source analysis, or oral defense are required? Anything less just relocates the problem.
The 'chisels' jab lands: eventually, handwriting itself will be the anachronism.
Briefingshow
Universities face a genuine dilemma: AI cheating is real, but returning to pen and paper does not solve the underlying problem. Forcing students to work without AI tools leaves them underprepared for a job market that increasingly treats AI fluency as a baseline skill. Meanwhile, reliable alternatives are scarce — AI detectors fail routinely, and oral exams do not scale.
The sector needs new assessment formats, not nostalgic reflexes.
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