The use of artificial intelligence (AI) and chatbot platforms such as ChatGPT is transforming education and research, and in turn, is raising significant challenges for the academic community. Researchers from Plymouth Marjon University and the University of Plymouth, UK, recently conducted a study to address some of those concerns.
The research encourages ChatGPT to produce academic-style content via a series of prompts and questions, including one such as “write an original academic paper, with references, describing the implications of GPT-3 for assessment in higher education”. The resulting text was written in an ordered manner supporting the structure suggested by ChatGPT, and included references to credit the source.
Despite its sophistication, AI-detection tools are able to detect the formulaic nature of the academic content produced by ChatGPT. This means that universities should take steps to explain to students and minimise the risks of academic dishonesty.
ChatGPT was launched in November 2022 and is seen as a potential game-changer in the sector, with Microsoft and Google rapidly incorporating it into search engines and Office suites. However, in order to embrace these potential benefits while also avoiding the risks of fraud, it is important for academic institutes to take proactive steps.
Professor Debby Cotton, the lead author of the study, said, “This latest AI development obviously brings huge challenges for universities, not least in testing student knowledge and teaching writing skills – but looking positively it is an opportunity for us to rethink what we want students to learn and why. I’d like to think that AI would enable us to automate some of the more administrative tasks academics do, allowing more time to be spent working with students.”
The study also acknowledged the efforts of companies like Microsoft and Google as they bring AI into search engines and Office suites. It is indeed true that AI is rapidly being made available to students outside their institutions, making it more important than ever for academics and universities to develop a better understanding and be mindful of the potential issues that could arise from its use.
With careful implementation and stringent guidelines, the advantages associated with ChatGPT would soon supersede the risks. When done correctly, it would open up a world of new possibilities, particularly for those in educational fields.
