Bottomley | csworkshop

Workshop title: Building a culture and practice of resistance to Generative AI in our universities

Name of presenter: Jane Bottomley

Affiliation & title: KTH, Lecturer in Language and Communication

Keywords: Generative AI, academic writing, agency, self-efficacy, wellbeing

Abstract:

Academic writing presents students with a range of practical, intellectual and emotional challenges. The way that students respond to and navigate these challenges may not only impact on their academic learning and development, but also on their general wellbeing.

Generative AI may help or be perceived to help students meet the challenges of academic writing (Malmström et al, 2023). However, over-reliance on Generative AI may impinge on two things which are believed to support student learning, development and wellbeing: self efficacy, “the individual’s belief in their capacity to act in ways necessary to reach specific goals” (Bandura, 1977), and agency, the ability to influence one’s own life situation (The Wisdom Panel Report, 2025). Generative AI may also serve to devalue the fundamental craft of academic writing, along with the expertise of those who teach it (Bottomley, 2025).

Much of the response to Generative AI in universities has been to focus on the cultivation of responsible use. However, maybe we also have a responsibility to say no, at least sometimes, and this would require us to build a culture and practice of resistance, to perhaps take on the mantle of the much misunderstood Luddites in an earlier technological revolution (Bottomley, 2025). This responsibility is primarily grounded in a commitment to supporting student learning, development and wellbeing, but resistance can also form around wider social and political issues associated with Large Language Models.

In this workshop, we will explore the desirability and possibility of building a culture and practice of resistance to Generative AI in our universities. Some possible questions are:

1) Why might this be important? (for students, for faculty, for society)

2) What are some historical precedents we can draw on and be inspired by, in education and beyond?

3) What could this culture and practice of resistance look like on the ground?

4) How can we convince students and colleagues of the necessity and benefits of resistance?

5) Is it possible to combine elements of resistance with critical use of AI?

6) Are you already engaged in resistance to Generative AI? What have you learned from this and what can you share to inspire others?

References:

Bandura, A. (1977) Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84(2), 191–215.

Bottomley, J. (2025) The craft and politics of academic writing in the AI universe. Times Higher Education CAMPUS. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/craft-and-politics-academic-writing-ai-universe (accessed 25th January, 2026).

Malmström, H., Stöhr, C. and Ou, A. (2023) Chatbots and other AI for learning: A survey of use and views among university students in Sweden. (Chalmers Studies in Communication and Learning in Higher Education, 2023:1).

The Wisdom Panel Report, Wave 2 (2025) Cener for Wellbeing, Welfare and Happiness (CWWH), Stockholm School of Economics.