It is difficult to exaggerate the impact of AI on academia in general and on scholarly publishing in particular. Tools such as ChatGPT and Claude have made it possible for anyone to turn free-floating information into what looks like knowledge using a combination of real and artificial intelligence. There are many open questions and knotty problems concerning the use of AI in teaching and research, perhaps most importantly with regard to its impact on both generic and critical thinking. While others have been productively and constructively able to engage students in classrooms with AI—hopefully to good effect—my approach has been to gravitate more and more toward verbal, face-to-face communication, invoking the power of mythology, storytelling, and experiential education to inspire students to think critically and imaginatively by interacting with each other offline and off-screen.
My focus, as editor of The Journal of Asian Studies, is on trying to separate the wheat from the chaff of AI-generated manuscripts as the editorial office has seen a massive uptick in the number of submissions. Two years ago we received about 350 manuscripts per year. In 2025 the number was closer to 800, and I would not be surprised to see it surpass 900 very soon.