---
title: "Blue books make a comeback at colleges in the AI era. Why not "chisels," critic mocks"
slug: "blue-books-make-a-comeback-at-colleges-in-the-ai-era-why-not-chisels-critic-mocks"
date: 2026-03-14
category: tech
tags: [openai]
language: en
sources_count: 1
featured: false
publisher: AInauten News
url: https://news.ainauten.com/en/story/blue-books-make-a-comeback-at-colleges-in-the-ai-era-why-not-chisels-critic-mocks
---

# Blue books make a comeback at colleges in the AI era. Why not "chisels," critic mocks

**Published**: 2026-03-14 | **Category**: tech | **Sources**: 1

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## TL;DR

- US colleges are bringing back handwritten 'blue book' exams to curb AI-generated cheating after ChatGPT's 2022 launch upended academic writing.

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## Summary

- 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.
- Many companies explicitly seek graduates comfortable with AI tools — blue books test the opposite.

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## Why it matters

US colleges are bringing back handwritten 'blue book' exams to curb AI-generated cheating after ChatGPT's 2022 launch upended academic writing.

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## Key Points

- 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.
- Many companies explicitly seek graduates comfortable with AI tools — blue books test the opposite.

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## 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.

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## FAQ

**Q:** What is Blue books make a comeback at colleges in the AI era. Why not "chisels," critic mocks about?

**A:** - US colleges are bringing back handwritten 'blue book' exams to curb AI-generated cheating after ChatGPT's 2022 launch upended academic writing.

**Q:** Why does it matter?

**A:** US colleges are bringing back handwritten 'blue book' exams to curb AI-generated cheating after ChatGPT's 2022 launch upended academic writing.

**Q:** What are the key takeaways?

**A:** 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.

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## Related Topics

- [openai](https://news.ainauten.com/en/tag/openai)

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## Sources

- [Blue books make a comeback at colleges in the AI era. Why not "chisels," critic mocks](https://www.axios.com/2026/03/14/ai-blue-books-colleges-jobs) - Axios AI

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## About This Article

This article is a synthesis of 1 sources, curated and summarized by AInauten News. We aggregate AI news from trusted sources and provide bilingual (German/English) coverage.

**Publisher**: [AInauten](https://www.ainauten.com) | **Site**: [news.ainauten.com](https://news.ainauten.com)

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*Last Updated: 2026-03-20*