Dartmouth investigates provost Santiago Schnell over AI use in published writing
Dartmouth College is reviewing accusations that provost Santiago Schnell used AI in published writing without always disclosing it. The case sits within a wider pattern of students questioning AI use by faculty and administrators.
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The story, neutrally told
Dartmouth College said it would investigate its provost, Santiago Schnell, over accusations that AI was used in their published writing. The New York TimesLC “Dartmouth said it would investigate its provost over A.I. accusations.” Read at The New York Times ↗ The Straits TimesRC “Dartmouth College will investigate accusations that its provost, the mathematical biologist Santiago Schnell, used artificial intelligence in published writings.” Read at The Straits Times ↗ The review followed a report by the student newspaper The Dartmouth, which found extensive AI use in Schnell's published work in 2026. The Straits TimesRC “The follow-up investigation in September by the student publication, The Dartmouth, found extensive AI use in Schnell’s published work in 2026.” Read at The Straits Times ↗ The issue had first surfaced in an August Semafor investigation, which said an Aug 9 Washington Post commentary by Schnell about AI cheating in school was written by AI. The Straits TimesRC “That investigation said an Aug 9 commentary by Schnell in The Washington Post was written by AI.” Read at The Straits Times ↗
Schnell told The Dartmouth that AI was used for tasks such as copyediting and improving clarity, and later published a letter apologising for not always disclosing AI use. The Straits TimesRC “In a letter published on Sept 25 in The Dartmouth, the provost apologised for not always disclosing AI use in his public writing.” Read at The Straits Times ↗ The student paper ran Schnell's statement through an AI detector, which flagged it as apparently AI-written; Schnell did not respond to a request for comment. The Straits TimesRC “The newspaper then ran Schnell’s statement on his AI use through an AI detector, which flagged the statement itself as apparently written by AI.” Read at The Straits Times ↗ Dartmouth's president, Sian Beilock, told the campus that being an early leader on AI was "messy" and that "There will be mis-steps"; the college declined further comment. The Straits TimesRC ““There will be mis-steps,” she wrote, “and that’s part of how an institution learns”.” Read at The Straits Times ↗
Dartmouth senior Eli Moyse called the episode hypocrisy and said the provost should resign or be fired. The Straits TimesRC ““He should resign immediately or get fired,” he said of Schnell.” Read at The Straits Times ↗ Similar cases have emerged elsewhere, including Berkeley administrators' messages and a Berkeley professor's essay flagged by AI detectors, and the coverage says such controversies have prompted student frustration. The New York TimesLC “Similar controversies on other campuses have prompted frustration among students.” Read at The New York Times ↗ The Straits TimesRC “At the University of California, Berkeley, the student-run paper, The Daily Californian, ran dozens of campus communications through AI detectors” Read at The Straits Times ↗ Experts quoted say unclear norms are part of the reason, because written guidelines have not always kept pace with the technology. The Straits TimesRC “Ethical standards have long governed matters like plagiarism and other forms of academic misconduct, but even written guidelines have not always explicitly kept pace with AI” Read at The Straits Times ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- Presents the Dartmouth probe as the latest in a series of professors examined for AI use, with attention to student frustration across campuses.
- Emphasis
- The pattern across campuses and student reaction.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Details such as Schnell's apology, the detector findings and the Dartmouth president's remarks are not visible in the headline and lede.
- For example
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“Similar controversies on other campuses have prompted frustration among students.” — The New York Times
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- Carries the same reporting under a headline that leads with student charges of hypocrisy against college leaders who use AI.
- Emphasis
- Student anger, calls for resignation, and gaps between institutional AI policies and practice, including the Stanford photo case.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Gives little space to defences of AI use beyond Schnell's statement and Berkeley's spokesperson.
- Charged language
- “Hypocrisy”“completely cartoonish”
- For example
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“Some students are calling out the examples of faculty doing the same thing as hypocritical.” — The Straits Times
What every side reports
- Dartmouth said it would investigate provost Santiago Schnell over accusations about AI use.
- Similar AI controversies involving faculty and administrators have arisen on other campuses.
- Students have expressed frustration over the issue.
Where accounts differ
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How to characterise the wider phenomenon
- Left
- Frames Schnell as the latest of several professors examined for AI use, stressing student frustration.
- Right
- Presents student accusations of 'hypocrisy' as the central theme, with calls for consequences.
Dartmouth College organisation
Announced a review of the provost; President Sian Beilock described early AI leadership as messy with inevitable mis-steps, and the college declined further comment.
“Dartmouth declined to comment beyond what Beilock had already written.” — The Straits Times
Santiago Schnell person
Said AI was used for language refinement and copyediting, and apologised for not always disclosing it.
“Schnell told The Dartmouth in a statement that he used AI “for language refinement, copyediting, improving clarity and organisation and making writing processes more efficient”.” — The Straits Times
Left1 article
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Dartmouth Provost Is the Latest College Professor Examined for A.I. Use
Neutral Positions Dartmouth's probe as the latest example in a broader run of AI-use scrutiny of professors, noting student frustration.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right1 article
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‘Hypocrisy’: US students are calling out college leaders for using AI
Critical Leads with student accusations of hypocrisy against college leaders, and uses the Dartmouth case to survey AI use by faculty and administrators.
- 29 Sep 10:02 First The New York TimesLC Dartmouth Provost Is the Latest College Professor Examined for A.I. Use
- 30 Sep 03:10 +17h 8m The Straits TimesRC ‘Hypocrisy’: US students are calling out college leaders for using AI
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.