UGA players should meet academic credentials
In reference to your news story of Dec. 16, “Georgia football graduation rates lagging far behind other programs,” the problem with the University of Georgia is that football reigns.
The athletic department goes after the best quarterbacks, running backs and the rest of the team members without regard to their academic credentials. It is more important that they can throw, run and block than it is to whether they can read and write.
This problem is not new! When Herschel Walker was making speeches while running against a man with a Ph.D., it was obvious that he did not have a good knowledge of the English language.
I do not think it is right for the University of Georgia to “hire” performers and not acquire students who can pass the SAT or ACT and other entrance requirements that the university might have. I think all students applying should have to pass on-site reading, writing and basic math tests to be admitted.
RALEIGH C. PERRY, BUFORD
Don’t jump on AI bandwagon without caution
After reading far too many optimistic pieces about AI, it is refreshing to see Eric Smalley inject a healthy dose of reality into the AI conversation, “Puncturing some of AI’s hype (so far)” (Opinion, Dec. 28).
I recently told my students that we are in the “AI euphoria” stage and that they should temper their enthusiasm (and fears) about AI. Anyone using AI chatbots today should proceed very cautiously and verify all alleged “facts,” as AI seems prone to generate some major inaccuracies and create fictitious citations.
Ultimately, I expect AI chatbots to play a useful role in many contexts. However, in my research and writing, I see no role whatsoever for AI chatbots. As a researcher, I aim to share what we did, what we found and why it matters. As a writer, I want readers to understand what I believe. In both settings, readers need to hear from me, in my own words.
This is me writing here, not a chatbot.
DANA R. HERMANSON, MARIETTA
