The Aporia · My reporting prompted Dartmouth provost to resign. It wasn't the right call

Reed argues in an opinion piece that his reporting led to Dartmouth Provost Santiago Schnell's resignation due to the use of AI in guest columns. However, Reed contends that Schnell’s actions did not warrant such severe consequences as they aligned with how many other authors were using AI tools to aid their writing without passing off AI-generated content as original work. The article suggests that a better approach would be to address transparency issues and adapt to the growing prevalence of AI in academic and journalistic contexts rather than enforcing strict bans or punitive measures.

Written by AI on 2026-10-31, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

Story summary

In August 2026, journalist Reed Albergotti reported on the widespread use of AI in guest columns published by major news outlets, including one written by Dartmouth Provost Santiago Schnell. This reporting led to Schnell's resignation this week, despite Albergotti’s belief that such a drastic action was not warranted. The investigation revealed that 50 guest columns containing AI-generated text were published across the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post over one month. Albergotti argues that Schnell's mistake, if any, was failing to disclose his use of AI rather than outright violating prohibitions against it. He questions whether blanket bans on AI in writing are practical given its prevalence and capability to mimic human thought processes accurately.

Written for “Dartmouth Provost Resigns” on 2026-10-31, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

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My hope was that the reporting would lead to some smart questions, not a shame-and-blame witch hunt that would result in a resignation:

left criticizes punitive actions against AI use
But forced resignations just perpetuate the current situation, where we are fighting against a current of technology use that's become so commonplace it's impossible to fight.

left argues against punishing common technological practices

Reading Leans left (beta estimate) Confidence high

Leaning: leans left for article 117895 (high confidence, 2 verified quotes) · logged 2026-10-31

📰 Dartmouth Provost Resigns

Education · 1 article(s) covering the same event.

Nothing to compare against. No article is close enough to this one for the pipeline to have linked or judged the pair.

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Semafor · 1393 article(s) · 1 correction(s) detected

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My hope was that the reporting would lead to some smart questions, not a shame-and-blame witch hunt that would result in a resignation: Does it make sense to have a blanket ban on something that has become so prevalent and can fool some of the world’s most renowned editors?

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-31

2026-10-31 · Semafor

My reporting prompted Dartmouth provost to resign. It wasn't the right call · assertive framing

In August, I wrote about the use of AI in guest columns published in major news outlets, including by Dartmouth Provost Santiago Schnell. asserted

I → write → Schnell

This week, he resigned. asserted

he → resign → ?

The thing is, he shouldn’t have lost his job. asserted

he → lose → job

Schnell’s was one of 50 guest columns that included AI-generated text that were published in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post over a one-month period. asserted

that → include → period

An (AI-assisted) analysis showed that AI use in writing has become incredibly common, even in publications that prohibit it. asserted

that → assist → it

that → lead → editors

If the Dartmouth provost did anything wrong, it was failing to disclose that he used AI in the process of writing columns and academic journal articles for publications that prohibit its use. asserted

that → do → use

But it appears all of Schnell’s writing was based on his own ideas and work. asserted

all → appear → ideas

He didn’t just prompt a chatbot and pass the output off as his own. asserted

He → prompt → own

“I develop ideas and arguments, conduct the research, evaluate the evidence and sources, determine the structure, prepare drafts and decide what appears in the final text,” Schnell told The Dartmouth newspaper, which did its own investigation into more of Schnell’s work. asserted

which → develop → work

I get why students are mad, and why Schnell’s resignation might seem appropriate. uncertain

resignation → get → ?

Students are often prohibited from using AI in class and subject to punishment if they’re caught. asserted

they → prohibit → punishment

But forced resignations just perpetuate the current situation, where we are fighting against a current of technology use that’s become so commonplace it’s impossible to fight. asserted

it → force → use

Years from now, we’ll look back on this time with regret and wonder why we were so outraged by people using a new tool that was so obviously useful. asserted

that → look → tool

My reporting prompted Dartmouth provost to resign. It wasn't the right call

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