College instructor turns to typewriters to curb AI-written work

Hacker News / 4/19/2026

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Key Points

  • A college instructor is shifting from digital writing approaches to typewriters as a hands-on way to discourage AI-generated or AI-assisted assignments.
  • The strategy aims to make students think more intentionally about writing process and originality by introducing friction that AI tools can’t easily bypass.
  • By using typewriters, the instructor also frames the activity as a broader life lesson about effort, revision, and accountability in student work.
  • The approach highlights a growing classroom response to generative AI and raises questions about fair assessment and how to adapt teaching methods.