Bermuda Post

Thursday, Oct 10, 2024

ChatGPT: Cardiff students admit using AI on essays

ChatGPT: Cardiff students admit using AI on essays

University students have confessed to writing essays with the help of ChatGPT's artificial intelligence program.

Cardiff University students said they had received first class grades for essays written using the AI chatbot.

ChatGPT is an AI program capable of producing human-like responses and academic pieces of work.

Cardiff University said it was reviewing its policies and would issue new university-wide guidance shortly.

Tom, not his real name, is one of the students who conducted his own experiment using ChatGPT.

Tom, who averages a 2.1 grade, submitted two 2,500 essays in January, one with the help of the chatbot and one without.

For the essay he wrote with the help of AI, Tom received a first - the highest mark he has ever had at university.

In comparison, he received a low 2.1 on the essay he wrote without the software.

"I didn't copy everything word for word, but I would prompt it with questions that gave me access to information much quicker than usual," said Tom.

He also admitted that he would most likely continue to use ChatGPT for the planning and framing of his essays.

A recent Freedom of Information request to Cardiff University revealed that during the January 2023 assessment period, there were 14,443 visits to the ChatGPT site on the university's own wi-fi networks.

One month before, there were zero recorded visits.

OpenAI launched ChatGPT last November


Despite the increase in visits during January's assessment period, the university believes there is nothing to suggest that the visits were for illegitimate purposes.

"Most visits have been identified as coming from our research network - our School of Computer Science and Informatics, for example, has an academic interest in the research and teaching of artificial intelligence," said Cardiff University.

John, not his real name, is another student at the university who admitted using the software to help him with assignments.

"I've used it quite a few times since December. I think I've used it at least a little bit for every assessment I've had," he said.

"It's basically just become part of my work process, and will probably continue to be until I can't access it anymore.

"When I first started using it, I asked it to write stuff like 'compare this niche theory with this other niche theory in an academic way' and it just aced it."

Although ChatGPT does not insert references, John said he had no issue filling those in himself.

"I've also used it to summarise concepts from my course that I don't think the lecturers have been great at explaining," he said.

"It's a really good tool for cutting out the waffle that some lecturers go into for theories which you don't actually need to talk about in essays.

"It probably cuts about 20% of the effort I would need to put into an essay."

Both students said they do not use ChatGPT to write their essays, but to generate content they can tweak and adapt themselves.

As for being caught, John is certain that the AI influence in his work is undetectable.

"I see no way that anyone could distinguish between work completely my own and work which was aided by AI," he said.

However, John is concerned about being caught in the future. He said if transcripts of his communication with the AI network were ever found, he fears his degree could be taken away from him.

"I'm glad I used it when I did, in the final year of my degree, because I feel like a big change is coming to universities when it comes to coursework because it's way too easy to cheat with the help of AI," he said.

"I like to think that I've avoided this, whilst reaping the benefits of GPT in my most important year."

Cardiff University said it took allegations of academic misconduct, including plagiarism, "extremely seriously".

"Although not specifically referenced, the improper use of AI would be covered by our existing academic integrity policy," a spokesman said.

"We are aware of the potential impact of AI programmes, like ChatGPT, on our assessments and coursework.

"Maintaining academic integrity is our main priority and we actively discourage any student from academic misconduct in its many forms."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Bermuda Post
0:00
0:00
Close
Paper straws found to contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals - study
FTX's Bankman-Fried headed for jail after judge revokes bail
Blackrock gets half a trillion dollar deal to rebuild Ukraine
Steve Jobs' Son Launches Venture Capital Firm With $200 Million For Cancer Treatments
Israel: Unprecedented Civil Disobedience Looms as IDF Reservists Protest Judiciary Reform
Google reshuffles Assistant unit, lays off some staffers, to 'supercharge' products with A.I.
End of Viagra? FDA approved a gel against erectile dysfunction
UK sanctions Russians judges over dual British national Kara-Murza's trial
US restricts visa-free travel for Hungarian passport holders because of security concerns
America's First New Nuclear Reactor in Nearly Seven Years Begins Operations
Southeast Asia moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system
Political leader from South Africa, Julius Malema, led violent racist chants at a massive rally on Saturday
Today Hunter Biden’s best friend and business associate, Devon Archer, testified that Joe Biden met in Georgetown with Russian Moscow Mayor's Wife Yelena Baturina who later paid Hunter Biden $3.5 million in so called “consulting fees”
Singapore Carries Out First Execution of a Woman in Two Decades Amid Capital Punishment Debate
Spanish Citizenship Granted to Iranian chess player who removed hijab
US Senate Republican Mitch McConnell freezes up, leaves press conference
Speaker McCarthy says the United States House of Representatives is getting ready to impeach Joe Biden.
San Francisco car crash
This camera man is a genius
3D ad in front of Burj Khalifa
Next level gaming
Google testing journalism AI. We are doing it already 2 years, and without Google biased propoganda and manipulated censorship
Unlike illegal imigrants coming by boats - US Citizens Will Need Visa To Travel To Europe in 2024
Musk announces Twitter name and logo change to X.com
'I just lost it' Lowe’s worker fired after 13 years of employment for confronting thieves trying to steal $2K of merchandise
The politician and the journalist lost control and started fighting on live broadcast.
The future of sports
Unveiling the Black Hole: The Mysterious Fate of EU's Aid to Ukraine
Farewell to a Music Titan: Tony Bennett, Renowned Jazz and Pop Vocalist, Passes Away at 96
Alarming Behavior Among Florida's Sharks Raises Concerns Over Possible Cocaine Exposure
Transgender Exclusion in Miss Italy Stirs Controversy Amidst Changing Global Beauty Pageant Landscape
Joe Biden admitted, in his own words, that he delivered what he promised in exchange for the $10 million bribe he received from the Ukraine Oil Company.
TikTok Takes On Spotify And Apple, Launches Own Music Service
Global Trend: Using Anti-Fake News Laws as Censorship Tools - A Deep Dive into Tunisia's Scenario
Arresting Putin During South African Visit Would Equate to War Declaration, Asserts President Ramaphosa
Hacktivist Collective Anonymous Launches 'Project Disclosure' to Unearth Information on UFOs and ETIs
Typo sends millions of US military emails to Russian ally Mali
Server Arrested For Theft After Refusing To Pay A Table's $100 Restaurant Bill When They Dined & Dashed
The Changing Face of Europe: How Mass Migration is Reshaping the Political Landscape
China Urges EU to Clarify Strategic Partnership Amid Trade Tensions
Europe is boiling: Extreme Weather Conditions Prevail Across the Continent
The Last Pour: Anchor Brewing, America's Pioneer Craft Brewer, Closes After 127 Years
Democracy not: EU's Digital Commissioner Considers Shutting Down Social Media Platforms Amid Social Unrest
Sarah Silverman and Renowned Authors Lodge Copyright Infringement Case Against OpenAI and Meta
Italian Court's Controversial Ruling on Sexual Harassment Ignites Uproar
Why Do Tech Executives Support Kennedy Jr.?
The New York Times Announces Closure of its Sports Section in Favor of The Athletic
BBC Anchor Huw Edwards Hospitalized Amid Child Sex Abuse Allegations, Family Confirms
Florida Attorney General requests Meta CEO's testimony on company's platforms' alleged facilitation of illicit activities
The Distorted Mirror of actual approval ratings: Examining the True Threat to Democracy Beyond the Persona of Putin
×