Title: Rise in ChatGPT-Assisted Cheating Prompts UK Universities to Take Action
Over 400 students in the United Kingdom have found themselves under investigation for engaging in cheating during their assessments using AI bots like ChatGPT. The use of these chat bots has become increasingly prevalent among students, prompting several UK universities to crack down on this form of academic dishonesty.
According to figures obtained by The Tab, a student newspaper, 377 students from various universities across the UK have been subject to probes for cheating on their coursework. Out of this number, 146 students have already been found guilty, while investigations are still ongoing at several universities.
The data, released under the Freedom of Information Act, reveals that over 40 percent of UK universities have grappled with this issue. Even esteemed institutions belonging to the Russell Group, such as LSE, UCL, and the University of Glasgow, have experienced instances of cheating facilitated by AI technology.
The popularity of AI chat bots, including ChatGPT, has skyrocketed since the start of 2023. These bots offer easy accessibility and, in some cases, are available for free, enabling students to generate entire essays within minutes by providing the right prompts. While UK universities have been actively combating this cheating problem, they have faced challenges in responding to this new technology. ChatGPT draws from real-life data and arguments found online to produce essays, albeit lacking originality and creativity.
To address this problem, Turnitin, a widely-used anti-plagiarism software in UK universities, introduced new software earlier this year to identify fake essays. However, some faculty members remain skeptical about its accuracy. For instance, the University of Kent has probed 47 students for using ChatGPT or similar AI chat bots to complete assignments, resulting in 22 students being found guilty and receiving zero marks. The University of London, Birkbeck, and Leeds Beckett University have also investigated a significant number of students involved in cheating.
It is essential to note that the actual incidence of cheating could be considerably higher, as some universities either lack centralized records on such investigations or choose not to disclose them to protect their reputation. Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, for instance, fears the potential harm to its reputation from disclosing the data. Dr. Richard Harvey, a computer science professor at the University of East Anglia, believes that ChatGPT is currently designed in a way that facilitates cheating. He has become proficient at identifying offenders, correlating perfect grammar and stylistic construction resembling the work of a 15-year-old. Dr. Andres Guadamuz, an intellectual property law expert at the University of Sussex, has also mastered the art of recognizing essays generated by ChatGPT. He describes them as clearly being copy-pasted and lacking the personal touch and voice typically incorporated by students in their writing.
The introduction of new anti-cheating measures has made lecturers cautious about wrongly accusing students, as it could harm their academic records. There have been instances where students were mistakenly flagged for cheating, as reported earlier this year at the University of Bolton. Professor Fabio Arico from the Centre for Higher Education Research Practice Policy and Scholarship at UEA advises against levying penalties without thorough consideration, as it could potentially ruin students’ lives. Although there is some initial concern and resistance to change, lecturers are adapting to these new challenges and developing strategies to address cheating effectively.
ChatGPT-assisted cheating has become a pressing issue in UK universities, prompting institutions to take a proactive stance against academic dishonesty. By implementing robust measures to combat cheating and adopting critical judgment in identifying offenders, universities aim to uphold the integrity and credibility of their assessments.
