Ben Guttmann

ChatGPT is full of hot air

Over the past year, usage of adjectives like “intricate,” “innovative,” meticulous,” and “versatile” has skyrocketed in academic writing. What could possibly be the culprit?

April 1, 2024

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FOMO is keeping social media alive

How much would you need to be paid to delete TikTok? If you’re like the average college student, the answer is $59. To get them to deactivate their Instagram account, you’d have to pony up $47. We see value in these platforms because everybody else is on them too – but what if that wasn't the case?

March 25, 2024

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How some of today's college students view their digital life

Once every semester, I turn the class around and ask my students about their experience with social media, their phones, and everything in between. It’s a cliche in education to say that the students teach you, but every year, this focus group class actually does.

March 5, 2024

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Sparkles mean AI now ✨

Every few years, we get a chance to witness how a new technology changes the way our written and spoken language works. In the mid- to late-nineties, the dawning internet age spawned a host of companies with a “.com” in their names. Today, it's the sparkle emoji as the stand-in for AI.

February 19, 2024

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Some predictions for 2024

Happy New Year! It’s a cliche at this point to say that we’re in for an unpredictable year. But that won’t stop me from making at least a few predictions about the twelve months ahead. From elections to movies, here’s what I think might happen in 2024 – along with my confidence percentage in each guess.

January 2, 2024

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