Despite almost half of Cambridge students admitting to using AI chatbots like ChatGPT to aid in completing their coursework, The University of Cambridge has not investigated any students for cheating. A survey of 540 students at the university conducted by The Cambridge Tab revealed that 49% of respondents had used the chatbot for coursework. The use of AI platforms for academic purposes is considered academic misconduct by the university and can result in disciplinary procedures, according to the Department of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics.
While some students said they use ChatGPT to summarize articles or help plan essays, others suggested it is only helpful if provided with information and is terrible for the environment due to the vast amount of water needed to power the cooling fans. Some students said the chatbot was only useful for pre-exam use, while others noted it can set the mind at ease after an exam. Students aren’t the only ones exploiting this free technology, however; some supervisors also use the chatbot to check the quality of students’ essays or get ideas.
The university’s offices of Student Conduct, Complaint and Appeals (OSCCA) have not conducted any investigations using the Student Discipline Procedure. Departments within the university, such as Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics, have warned students to avoid using chatbots for academic purposes and instead be the authors of their own work. Despite these warnings, students continue to use the chatbot to varying degrees for their studies.
