Using Classical Rhetoric in the Age of AI: A Study on Waltzer, Cox, and Heyman’s Study “Testing the Ability of Teachers and Students to Differentiate between Essays Generated by ChatGPT and High School Students”

This paper analyzes essay writing in AI (ChatGPT) and high school students, focusing on their use of specific details. Discussing the writing examples from Waltzer, Cox, and Heyman’s study, we employ Aristotle’s rhetorical theory to explore how clarity is achieved through specificity in writing. The analysis reveals both ChatGPT and students commonly omit detailed content, affecting clarity and argumentative strength, which affects how humans may detect AI-generated text. The paper suggests reinstating elements of classical rhetoric pedagogy in writing courses, particularly the style device of specificity. This will, we believe, not only improve student writing but also help educators to detect AI-generated text.