Steve Hanke Says He's an 'Old Fox' Who Can Sniff Out Students Using AI

A Professor's Confidence in Detecting AI

Steve Hanke, who has taught applied economics at Johns Hopkins University for nearly 60 years and served on President Reagan's Council of Economic Advisers, says he has "absolutely no problem with AI and students." In an interview with Business Insider, Hanke described himself as an "old fox" who finds it "very easy" to differentiate between a student's work and a chatbot's output.

Hanke pointed to what he called the "poor writing skills" of today's students, even at elite universities, as a main reason AI users stand out. He said it is "blatant when a student submission has been generated by AI." His familiarity with students' knowledge of economics also helps: he said it is "pretty easy to spot" when work does not match their skill level.

"The only problem that AI poses is that it requires the old fox to be on guard, more than would have been the case sans AI," Hanke explained.

An Admissions Dean's Perspective

Drusilla Blackman, a former dean of admissions at both Harvard and Columbia, echoed Hanke's assessment in a separate interview with Business Insider. Blackman said that it is almost always "evident" to an educator when a student has used AI, since the submitted work tends not to match that student's typical standard of writing or critical thinking.

"If they write something that is not proportional to that, it is detectible," said Blackman, who is the founder of Deans of Admissions, a group that advises families on getting children into top universities in the US and Britain.

Teachers' Defensive Strategies

Beyond detecting AI-generated work after the fact, Business Insider reported last year that several teachers had begun taking a more defensive approach, redesigning assignments specifically to resist AI use. In some cases, teachers have returned to handwritten assignments altogether to discourage students from relying on chatbots, according to that reporting.

As AI tools become more accessible, the debate over how to maintain academic integrity continues, with some educators relying on their experience and familiarity with students, while others adjust their teaching methods to make AI use harder in the first place.