The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is causing a stir in academic institutions. In a recent article by The Guardian, it was highlighted how the use of AI text generators for essay writing is becoming a growing concern for universities. The article reported that universities have been trying to banish essay mills that sell pre-written essays and other academic work to students trying to cheat the system. However, now academics suspect that even the essay mills are using AI text generators, with the popular chatbot, ChatGPT, being a prime suspect.
The article went on to describe a paper entitled Chatting and Cheating: Ensuring Academic Integrity in the Era of ChatGPT, which was published in an education journal. Readers and peer reviewers who cleared it for publication did not know that the paper had been written by the AI chatbot, ChatGPT. Many universities are “panicking” because it is incredibly difficult to prove that a written document has been written by a machine, as the standard of writing is often good.
AI text generators like ChatGPT, which was created by OpenAI, can write essays that are often of high quality, and can even mimic the writing style of a human being. However, they struggle with academic referencing, which can give away the fact that the essay was not written by a human. Additionally, AI-generated essays tend to have a lot of facts and little critique, which can be another red flag.
The Guardian reported that universities are struggling to keep up with the technology, with some planning to expel students who are caught using the software. Experts warn that AI tools are making it harder to detect plagiarism, particularly given the high level of writing quality that they can produce. As AI technology continues to improve, universities will need to find new ways to maintain academic integrity and ensure that students are completing their work honestly.
Some universities, like Bristol University, have issued new guidance to their staff on how to detect if a student has used an AI text generator to cheat. Coventry University is also redoubling its efforts to educate students on the appropriate use of AI, and to warn them about the dangers of cheating. If a student is caught using an AI text generator, they would have to undergo training on how to use AI appropriately. If they continued to cheat, they would be expelled.
Despite the challenges posed by AI text generators, experts believe that they will not be able to replace human writers entirely. AI-generated essays may be good enough for earlier assignments, but as courses become more specialized, they will become less effective. It remains to be seen how universities will adapt to the rise of AI essay writing, and how they will ensure that academic standards are maintained.
In conclusion, the use of AI text generators for essay writing is a growing concern for academic institutions. Universities are struggling to keep up with the technology, and are taking steps to catch and expel students who use AI text generators to cheat. Experts believe that while AI-generated essays may be good enough for earlier assignments, they will not be able to replace human writers entirely. It is clear that universities will need to find new ways to maintain academic integrity and ensure that students are completing their work honestly in the era of ChatGPT.