AI Should Improve Your Thinking, Not Replace It With Michael Leggs

AI can produce a polished paragraph in seconds, but that doesn’t mean students are learning to write. Jackie sat down with Michael Leggs, a college professor and the founder of Smartleby, to unpack a more useful way to think about artificial intelligence in education: not as a replacement for writers, but as a revision tutor that helps writers grow. Along the way, we dig into what “authentic voice” and academic integrity look like when AI tools are everywhere, and why writing still matters because writing is thinking. Michael shares the story behind the Smartleby name and the design philosophy that separates it from popular AI writing tools that generate content on demand. We talk about what students actually need most in college composition and beyond: support with the full writing process, not just grammar fixes. We also wrestle with a very real classroom tension, where educators can lose hours trying to detect AI use instead of teaching. His Roadrunner analogy lands hard: chasing new detectors can create a culture of mistrust, while redesigning assignments can make learning visible again. We also zoom in on research and digital literacy. With students drowning in information, the skill that matters is not finding sources but evaluating them. We discuss credibility checks, why Wikipedia is a fine starting point but not a final citation, and how AI-generated search results can raise the stakes for careful verification.  Subscribe for more practical conversations on instructional design, learning, and responsible AI, and if this helped you, share it with a colleague and leave a review. What’s one change you’re making to your writing prompts or assessments this year? 🔗 Website and Social Links: Please visit Michael Leggs’s website and social media links below. Michael Leggs’s Website Michael’s Facebook Page 📢 Call-to-Action: Smartleby is an AI-powered writing and revision platform created by college professor Michael Leggs. Designed to help students, educators, and writers improve their work while maintaining academic integrity, Smartleby provides intelligent feedback and revision support that strengthens critical thinking rather than replacing it. Listeners can learn more about responsible AI use in writing, explore educational resources, and discover practical tools for becoming more effective communicators.  Send Jackie a Text Join PodMatch! Use the link to join PodMatch, a place for hosts and guests to connect. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show 💟 Designing with Love + allows you to support the show by keeping the mic on and the ideas flowing. Click on the link above to provide your support. ☕ Buy Me a Coffee is another way you can support the show, either as a one-time gift or through a monthly subscription.  🗣️ Want to be a guest on Designing with Love? Send Jackie Pelegrin a message on PodMatch, here: Be a guest on the show 🌐 Check out the show's website here: Designing with Love 📱 Send a text to the show by clicking the Send Jackie a Text link above.  👍🏼 Please make sure to like and share this episode with others. Here's to great learning!