To disclose or not to disclose: Exploring the risk of being transparent about GenAI use in second language writing

Abstract

With the increasingly popular use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools in writing, a common policy regarding GenAI use requires students to self-disclose such use in writing. However, many students, especially second language (L2) writers, are concerned that disclosing GenAI use might negatively impact how teachers evaluate their work. This study, therefore, intends to investigate the potential impact of GenAI disclosure on L2 writing assessment. This study employs a mixed-method design to measure the statistical differences between grades received under different disclosure conditions and explore potential reasons for discrepancies. The quantitative analysis shows that teachers tend to score the essays lower when they are informed that GenAI tools are involved in the writing process. The interview data suggest that teachers might make assumptions about the student author’s writing ability and GenAI’s influence on writing, with some participants acknowledging their bias against GenAI use in writing. The study lends empirical evidence to the concern about GenAI disclosure and provides suggestions for improving mutual trust between teachers and students and rethinking L2 writing assessment in the age of GenAI.