Use AI to Amplify
Human Creativity.
Not Outsource It
OpenAI alum and Yale writing professor Jay Dixit on how to harness AI to amplify human creativity â without outsourcing the thinking.
A growing community of writers, educators, and creators who hold human creativity sacred â yet see AIâs potential. They use AI not as a ghostwriter, but as a thinking partner to surface their best ideas, clarify their thinking, and push themselves to do their best work.
Beyond the False Dichotomy
When I led OpenAIâs writing community, my job was to connect with writers, educators, and creators exploring ethical ways to use AI. What I discovered was a community of brilliant, curious people who understand thereâs a third way.
They hold human creativity sacred â yet they see AIâs potential. They know what parts of the process they want to preserve and defend, but theyâre curious to explore whether AI can inspire them to new heights. Most of all, they understand that AI doesnât have to replace human creativity â that used thoughtfully, AI can be a powerful tool for reflection, feedback, and discovery.
Asking AI to be creative:
âWrite a story for me.â â
Using AI to help YOU be creative:
âAsk me questions to help me develop my story.â â
The reframe:
Donât ask AI to be creative. Ask it to help you be more creative.
These are not true paradoxes in the strict sense, since the statements donât actually contradict each other. Theyâre maybe more like dialectics â matched truths, each in tension with its counterpart.
Building a Movement of Ethical AI Creators
Meet Jay Dixit
Jay Dixit is a writer, Yale professor, and creator of the âSocratic AIâ framework. He spent 10,000+ hours honing his craft as a writer â and when AI arrived, he knew immediately how to use it: not to generate writing, but to help him think and write better.
Writer First, AI Advocate Second
Award-winning journalist for The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and Psychology Today. Conducted George Carlinâs final interview and won The Moth storytelling competition. When ChatGPT launched, Jay immediately saw its potential â not to generate writing, but to support the creative process.
Building the OpenAI Writing Community
As Head of Community for Writers at OpenAI, Jay sought out and connected with writers, educators, and creators exploring ethical ways to use AI. It was in conversations with this community that he first defined the âSocratic AIâ approach.
The Movement Grows
What started as a small community has grown into a movement. Jay has shared the Socratic AI framework at Harvard, Wharton, Columbia, Yale, and through OpenAIâs flagship education resources â demonstrating that AI can amplify human creativity rather than replace it.
Using AI to enhance the creative process, not replace it.
The Writer's Room in Your Pocket
Use AI like a screenwriterâs room â pitch ideas, get feedback, hash out concepts before writing. Not to generate prose, but to help you figure out what to write before you write it.
Reverse Interviewing
Instead of asking AI for answers, have it ask you questions. Use AI as an interviewer to help you surface your best stories, clarify your thinking, and discover connections you might not otherwise reach.
Breaking Through Writer's Block
âI donât have writerâs block anymore,â says comedian Sarah Rose Siskind. âWriterâs block is the feeling of being totally alone, and I donât feel alone anymore because of this tool.â
For Writers & Creators
Novelists, screenwriters, journalists, comedians, and knowledge workers exploring how to use AI without compromising their authenticity or outsourcing their creativity.
For Educators & Institutions
Learn how to teach students and faculty to use AI as a thinking partner. Craft policies that support learning rather than just policing AI use.
Core Principles
The Three Paradoxes of Socratic AI
#1
Honor Human Creativity
THE PRINCIPLE
Human creativity is sacred. Writing, storytelling, and art are acts of creation, and we must never outsource them to AI.
THE PARADOX
AI doesnât have to be a threat to creativity. AI is a tool, and used thoughtfully, it can amplify creativity, push us to think better, and support us in doing our best work.
#2
Embrace the Struggle
THE PRINCIPLE
THE PRINCIPLE
Creation is born of struggle, and we must resist the urge to outsource the difficult parts to AI. Writing is hard â and that productive struggle is the whole point. The most powerful insights arise in those moments of discomfort and uncertainty when youâre staring down the blank page trying to figure out what comes next.
THE PARADOX
In those moments of doubt when youâre lost and stuck, AI can be a sounding board â a thinking partner to talk out your ideas, ask you clarifying questions, and help you find your way forward.
#3
Aim Higher
THE PRINCIPLE
The goal isnât to work less â itâs to reach higher and achieve more. To work as hard as ever and, amplified by AI, to produce more and better work.
THE PARADOX
Creative work demands focus. So do automate the grunt work. Let AI handle the formatting, the citations, the drudgery â so you can devote yourself to the acts of human imagination AI canât replace.
How I Can Help Your Institution
I help educators turn AI from an academic threat into an intellectual ally â helping organizations harness AI's potential while preserving human learning and creativity.
Keynote Speaking
Engaging talks for universities, companies, and conferences that transform how people think about AI, combining stories, research, and live demos.
Faculty Development
Comprehensive training programs that help educators redesign assignments, develop AI policies, and create meaningful learning experiences in the age of AI.
Curriculum Consulting
Strategic guidance on integrating AI literacy across disciplines while maintaining academic integrity and promoting critical thinking skills.
Student Workshops
Interactive sessions that teach students the â5 Principlesâ framework for using AI ethically and effectively to expand their thinking and deepen their learning.
Policy Development
Help your institution craft nuanced AI policies that go beyond simple âdonât use itâ rules to create guidelines that support learning.
Research Collaboration
Partner with your team on AI education research, bringing real-world expertise to academic inquiry and publication.
Core Philosophy
The Socratic AI Approach
A human-centered methodology that reframes AI as a collaborative thinking partner â one that challenges assumptions, surfaces blind spots, and helps humans articulate their best ideas.
Academic Excellence
Trusted by elite institutions worldwide
Proven Impact
Measurable results that matter
Ethical Leadership
Human-centered by design
- Transparency first
- No shortcuts
- Human creativity
Signature Talks
Transformative sessions that help educators and institutions navigate the AI revolution with confidence and clarity.
Keynote reframing AI as a thinking amplifier â perfect for faculty summits, ed-tech conferences, and leadership retreats.
Hands-on workshop covering prompting strategies, disclosure forms, and the Socratic AI framework for responsible AI use.
Turn memory checks into reasoning workouts and safeguard learning integrity with practical classroom strategies.
Real classroom strategies that turn AI into a springboard for critical thinking rather than a shortcut to answers.
Stories of writers and artists using AI to push imagination while keeping the creative process fundamentally human.
Practical frameworks for responsible AI use that aligns with transparency, fairness, and human values.
Custom strategies for organizations to harness AI thoughtfully â boosting productivity while fostering creativity.
Techniques like reverse interviewing and analogy generation to spark fresh ideas and innovative solutions.
Half-day introduction that demystifies AI and builds confident, skilled users across your organization.
How My Socratic Questioning Approach Inspired ChatGPTâs New Study Mode
Spring 2024: Interviews with Writers and Educators
Inspired by my interviews with writing community members like Stew Fortier and Ken Liu, I begin exploring how to use AI to ask questions instead of just providing answers. The idea is simple: Flip the script and let AI ask the questions for a change.
Summer 2024: I Develop the Socratic Framework
I refine the âSocratic approachâ through conversations with novelists, screenwriters, and writing professors. My radical idea: Rather than ban AI, we should teach students how to use AI to challenge and deepen their thinking.
Fall 2024: I Publish My Student Guide
I document my approach in the Student Writing Guide I publish on OpenAI.com in fall 2024, providing examples and strategies for educators and students.
AI Should Amplify Thinking, Not Replace It
My philosophy â that âproductive struggleâ is important to learning and that students should âuse AI as a tool, not an answer machineâ â becomes central to OpenAIâs education messaging.
August 2025: Inspiring a New Product
My Socratic approach leads to the development of a new product: ChatGPT Study Mode. Designed to foster deeper understanding, Study Mode asks Socratic-style questions and offers step-by-step guidance instead of quick answers. (Just to be clear: A âtutoring modeâ â âHey ChatGPT, teach me about ionic bondsâ â was already in the works. The Socratic questioning was my contribution.)
Study Mode Launched
With the launch of Study Mode, âSocratic-style questionsâ become a core feature of ChatGPT â bringing my educational approach directly into the product that tens of millions of students now use every day.
âFantastic. Absolutely the best presentation Iâve seen on how to actually use this stuff.â
âI love the way you think about AI.â
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about AI education consulting, speaking engagements, and the Socratic AI approach to ethical technology integration.
What makes the "Socratic AI" approach different?
âUnlike approaches that use AI as a shortcut, Socratic AI frames technology as a thinking partner. Instead of asking AI to write for you, you ask it to challenge your ideas, surface blind spots, and help you think more deeply about your work.â
How can I book Jay for a speaking engagement?
Most faculty development workshops are booked 2-3 months ahead, though Jay can sometimes accommodate shorter timelines for smaller sessions. Email jay@socraticai.co with your preferred dates and heâll respond within 24 hours.
What institutions has Jay worked with?
âJay has delivered talks and workshops at Harvard, Columbia, Wharton, The Brown Institute for Media Innovation, California State University, and The Poynter Institute. Heâs trained over 200 educators and impacted more than 10,000 students.â
How do you help universities move beyond merely banning and policing AI use?
âJay works with universities and organizations to craft nuanced AI policies that go beyond simple restrictions. These policies provide clear guidelines for ethical use while encouraging innovation and learning.â
What's included in faculty development workshops?
âFaculty leave with 5+ AI-resistant assignment templates, a rubric for evaluating student AI use, and specific prompts they can teach students. Theyâll know how to turn any essay prompt into a critical thinking challenge.â
How do you teach students to use AI without becoming dependent on it?
âStudents learn the â5 Principlesâ framework: Think beyond plagiarism, define your goals, donât outsource thinking, do hard parts yourself, be thoughtful about choices. They practice with real assignments until ethical AI use becomes automatic.â
Ready to Transform Your
Institution?
Let's work together to harness AI's potential â all the while preserving human learning and creativity.
Schedule a consultation today!