AI-Free Essays: Authenticity in the Age of AI

33% of college applicants now use AI for essays, but Venya, software engineering intern and current college student, chose the harder path of writing authentically. In this conversation, she shares what it was like to be a high school senior during the AI revolution, watching classmates secretly use ChatGPT while she stuck to her own voice. We explore the detection arms race, the death of differentiation in college essays, and whether authentic writing still matters in an AI-powered world.