Generative AI and Sociorhetorical Views of Writing

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools increasingly influence writing practices in educational contexts, yet writing studies expertise is too often sidelined in current discussions about writing in the context of generative AI. This paper presents core insights from rhetorical genre theory and genre-based pedagogy as a way to inform the teaching of research and writing in relation to generative AI tools. Our analysis focuses on three key concepts that are of central concern: intention, process, and trust. Attention to these concepts helps us navigate between extreme hype and grave concern about generative AI tools and writing pedagogy. We draw on established theoretical frames and recent empirical research and highlight how longer-standing insights about intention, process, and trust relate to the teaching of research and writing in the presence of generative AI tools. This work contributes to ongoing conversations about the role of AI in writing pedagogy by foregrounding deep disciplinary expertise and recent empirical evidence.