Engage them before they copy

Reading, authorship, and critical thinking in times of generative artificial intelligence

Abstract

This article presents reflections based on interactions with children in the early years of schooling and young adults at the beginning of their academic journey, combined with contributions from psycholinguistics, including the Good Enough Processing approach, which serves as a starting point to think about the reading experience.  The growing presence of generative artificial intelligence tools in educational and social contexts has been reshaping reading and writing practices, highlighting their impacts. Within this scenario, two risks stand out and deserve attention. The erosion of authorial voice, when writing is reduced to fulfilling formal patterns, and the superficiality of comprehension, when reading settles for interpretations that are only “good enough”. The article explores how these issues are connected to contemporary challenges in the formation of critical readers and authors, drawing on classroom observations and research findings in the field. The ideas are discussed in an expanded way, sometimes going beyond their original formulations, in order to engage with the current educational concerns. The aim is not to offer definitive answers or opinions, nor structured pedagogical strategies, but rather to share questions that arise from practice and from available evidence, inviting reflection on reading, authorship, and critical thinking in times of generative artificial intelligence.