A recent academic study has found that while ChatGPT excels at producing grammatically correct and well-structured argumentative essays, it lacks the human touch needed to truly engage readers—something student writers do significantly better. Led by Professor Ken Hyland from the University of East Anglia and Professor Kevin Jiang of Jilin University, the research compared 145 essays written by UK university students with 145 generated by ChatGPT. The study, published in the journal Written Communication, focused on how well the essays used rhetorical techniques to connect with readers.
Student-written essays consistently outperformed AI-generated ones in using “engagement markers”—rhetorical strategies such as rhetorical questions, personal commentary, and direct appeals to the reader using words like “we” or “you.” These elements help build rapport and guide readers through arguments, creating a more interactive and persuasive experience. In contrast, the ChatGPT essays, while academically polished, came across as impersonal and detached.
Professor Hyland noted that although ChatGPT followed the conventions of academic writing, it lacked the ability to present a clear stance or inject personality into the text. “The AI-produced essays avoided using questions or adding personal voice. They were structurally sound but emotionally flat,” he explained.
This difference stems from ChatGPT’s nature as a statistical language model. It generates text based on patterns in massive datasets, which results in content that may be contextually correct but lacks the nuanced communication seen in human writing. One key limitation highlighted by the researchers is the AI’s “audience blindness”—its inability to imagine or respond to a specific reader, making its writing less compelling and harder to relate to.
Still, the researchers don’t suggest removing AI from education entirely. Instead, they advocate for using tools like ChatGPT responsibly and in ways that support teaching rather than replace it. “Education isn’t just about learning to write—it’s about learning to think critically and communicate meaningfully. That’s where human abilities still shine far beyond what any algorithm can offer,” said Hyland.
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