Aretē vs. Technē in the GenAI Gym

What happens when the ancient Greek pursuit of aretē—excellence of mind and character—meets technē—craft, skill, and know-how—in the age of GenAI? In this episode, we step into the “GenAI Gym” with our colleague Jackson Moss, Assistant Department Chair and Professor of English, to explore the tension and harmony between these ideals in the composition classroom. Drawing on Margaret Renkl’s NYT op-ed “I, Human” and Heather Reid’s "Plato’s Gymnastic Dialogues," we discuss how teaching excellence, process, and growth mindset can thrive alongside AI tools, and what it means to train for more than just technical proficiency.