AI Technologies
Anit Vallurupalli
August 23, 2024
Has AI tools encouraged cheating?
Academic dishonesty, synonymous with cheating, is—according to Oxford Languages—defined as “acting dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage, especially in a game or examination”. In recent years, the amount of students committing academic dishonesty has risen to about 56% according to best colleges.com, facilitated by the rise of artificial intelligence and its increasing accessibility on multiple different platforms. This alarming statistic has begun a debate over whether access to AI should be limited for students, and if not, how to dissuade or catch students who use it immorally.
Cheating is a big moral concern in this situation. Academicintegrity.org has said that having an AI generate your homework is just as unethical as having a real person do it or copy and pasting articles off the internet. Though some like to believe that they aren’t plagiarizing since the work is done by machine rather than human, it still isn’t the student honestly displaying their own knowledge. Having a program generate text and calling it their own is fundamentally the same as stealing another’s work, and therefore is still academic fraud.
However, plagiarism isn’t the main issue. Yes, it’s unethical and shouldn't be done, but the misuse of AI in education has more long term consequences to consider—people won’t be able to do their jobs properly without the help of AI. Schools are meant to teach material that students will use in their future careers, but their heavy reliance on AI for all their homework means they will fall behind in their classes and lack the essential skills and knowledge the course was supposed to teach them. This could result in a largely incompetent workforce in the future.
Imagine going to the doctor and attempting to address serious health concerns, but the doctor is someone who used AI to get through school and can’t provide proper treatments or an accurate diagnosis. This ‘doctor’ could harm patients rather than help and potentially cause a lot of damage throughout their career.
Another example could be a school teacher that doesn’t understand the subjects they’re meant to teach. The students in that class would walk away with limited knowledge, unable to get clarification or in depth explanations over concepts they are expected to have expertise in and use in their future careers.
Many schools use tools to help curb the amount of AI used—for instance, GPT Zero, Copy Leaks, and Winston AI. These detectors see if AI was used in an assignment by checking for certain characteristics that giveaway its involvement. These cues include overly sophisticated terminology, being vague and not at all specific, or maintaining a suspiciously consistent tone throughout the paper. To highlight such indicators, the following is an AI generated paragraph about cats (from Chat GPT).
“Cats, with their graceful movements and enigmatic charm, have long captivated humans. These furry companions form deep bonds with their owners, revealing affectionate and playful sides. Their soft purrs and gentle kneads create a sense of calm, while their agile hunting skills showcase their innate elegance and precision. Whether lounging in a sunny spot or exploring hidden corners, cats add a touch of mystery and warmth to any home.”
Notice the vocabulary–for instance “enigmatic”–is not as simple as a term a student might use. Not to mention its writing is very broad, not at all specific or focusing on certain points to emphasize anything in particular. There are also excessive descriptors used throughout the paragraph, further revealing the use of AI.
However, restricting access to AI would mean a loss of a great tool with a lot of potential for enhancing a students’ learning. Some students use AI as it was intended—providing clarification, facilitating learning and understanding, suggesting ideas, etc. For example, one may use a chatbot to gauge how their teacher may grade a paper, or for quick help with proper citation formatting. Many students have also expressed that, while their teacher’s lessons proved ineffective in teaching certain concepts, a quick search using AI gave them great explanations or resources that helped prepare them for an exam.
AI is a powerful aid when used properly. Outside of the mentioned examples, it could also be used by schools to help grade students work, give them feedback on how to improve future assignments, and according to onlinedegrees.sandiego.edu, could be used to help personalize the learning experience for students. This could mean tailoring lesson plans to a student's learning style and pace, or help create study guides that target that student’s weaker concepts, helping them succeed in the classroom.
Fear certainly isn’t the most ethical motivator, but it often gets the job done. Talking to students about the consequences of abusing AI could help deter them from using it. About 80% of students receive lectures about using chatbots and programs to cheat according to bestcolleges.com. Going over the punishments as well as assuring them that they have methods of detecting AI’s work could help discourage them from committing plagiarism. Consequences may include zeros in the gradebook, loss of certain privileges, or in some cases, even expulsion from school.
Having assignments that require the use of AI may also help students learn to think of it as more of a resource for ideas and innovation, not a crutch. Such an approach would help establish that programs like Chat GPT are tools that are bettere for facilitating the educational experience rather than acting as a servant that completes their work for them. For example, assigning work that involves AI generation that the student would then “fix”, or improve upon.
Though it’s imperative to address and curb the misuse of AI for committing plagiarism and cheating through coursework, restricting access to AI is not the solution. When used responsibly, it can be a powerful tool that enhances the educational experience and deepens understanding. Educators and institutions should focus on teaching students how to use AI in an ethical manner, ensuring that it serves as an aid rather than a shortcut.
Works Cited
https://onlinedegrees.sandiego.edu/artificial-intelligence-education/
