AI Turns Writing Practice Into a Fun Job Interview Game

Researchers in Taiwan created a web app called The Brand War that turns English writing practice into a competitive game. Players pretend to be marketing interns racing to write a 500-word brand story in 60 minutes. Instead of just writing, they can use up to five "review passes" to get instant feedback from GPT-4.1 on their work. This feedback helps them revise and improve their writing in real time, just like a coach would.

In a small study with 29 university students, most used the AI feedback system and improved their scores over multiple revisions. Those who used the AI feedback more often saw bigger improvements, suggesting the tool actually helps people get better at writing. The AI scores also matched closely with human teacher scores, which means the AI is giving reliable feedback. Despite the game having competitive elements like attacking opponents, students mostly stayed focused on writing rather than playing the game.

The researchers believe this approach could change how people learn to write, especially for those learning English as a second language. It makes the stressful process of writing under time pressure more engaging and less intimidating. The game-like format could help students practice more often without feeling bored or overwhelmed.

While this is a small study, it shows promise for using AI to make learning more interactive and effective. The tool could eventually be used in schools or even workplaces to help people improve their writing skills in a fun, low-pressure way.