A professor at the University of Victoria in Canada utilized an AI chatbot knows as ChatGPT to help in writing a reference letter for a student — and the result was remarkable. As reported by The Atlantic, Matt Huculak, the head of advanced research services at the university’s libraries, asked ChatGPT to create an “excellent” reference letter for the student and the student managed to get into a graduate program at a “top-three” school in Canada. On top of that, the student was awarded a prestigious Cambridge Scholarship soon after.
Describing ChatGPT’s performance, Huculak reported that the AI-generated letter was among some of the best he has ever read. The chatbot’s output was concise and incorporated concrete examples that highlighted the student’s capacity to collaborate with others. It is noteworthy that Huculak used the chatbot’s answers as the template of what not to write.
“What I wrote ended up feeling like the most ‘human’ and heartfelt letter I’ve written in a long time,” he said in an interview with The Atlantic.
Huculak believes that ChatGPT is a great method to break free from the standard letter writing tradition as professors tend to recycle old reference letters, failing to emphasize each student’s unique attributes. He claims that it also helped reduce the pressure he felt while writing a reference letter.
Many academics hold a positive view of ChatGPT. George Mason University professor Stephanie Kane uses the chatbot to come up with topics and concepts to include in her class syllabus. Ethan Mollick of the Wharton School of Business incorporates ChatGPT into the curriculum when assigning project ideas and instructing students on topic development and writing aspects. Zak Cohen, a director at a Louisville, Kentucky middle school, commended the timesaving ability of ChatGPT when composing class materials. In addition to this, Shannon Ahern, a high school math and science teacher, utilizes the AI to generate lesson plans, exercises, and quiz questions.
In conclusion, ChatGPT is used amongst many to break free from repetitive letter writing and help craft unique reference letters. Academics find the AI supportive and praise its capacity to boost student’s productivity. Although some universities have banned ChatGPT to prevent cheating and plagiarism, the technology is still greatly appreciated and a source of relief to many.
