Schools Consider Ban on ChatGPT
School districts in the United States and across the world are concerned that students will use generative AI technology to hand in unauthentic and potentially plagiarized work. ChatGPT, created by OpenAI, is a particularly popular tool for students to write papers and generate exam answers.
Soon after its launch, the nation’s largest school district, New York City Public Schools, moved to ban ChatGPT use. The second largest district in the country, Los Angeles Unified, followed suit, and other school districts have done the same. Leading universities, including Imperial College London and the University of Cambridge in the UK, have warned against the use of ChatGPT for work and assessments due to its potential for plagiarism and cheating.
As generative AI technology advances in sophistication, problems will arise because it will become more difficult to detect plagiarized content. Many institutions are considering encouraging students to use chatbot-generated content as their first draft, because they can add research and references to it and it becomes almost impossible to detect plagiarism.
While academic institutions try to find a solution, college students continue to utilize this AI technology. A recent informal survey by Stanford University revealed that 17% of 4,497 respondents used ChatGPT on their final exams. The majority of students used the chatbot for brainstorming and forming ideas. Another survey of 372 students by higher education search service College Rover indicated that more than 40% of university students are using ChatGPT for coursework and using it multiple times per week.
How Are Universities Responding?
Stanford's Board on Judicial Affairs (BJA) has been monitoring ChatGPT and other AI tools and recently published policy guidance for their use in coursework. The policy states that if a course instructor has made no comment on the use of generative AI, then it should be treated similarly to assistance from another person. A Stanford committee has also published preliminary proposals and recommendations, including a requirement for students to ask professors about the use of AI tools and not to use the technology on an exam unless it is expressly allowed.
College Rover’s recent survey showed that nearly four in 10 students indicated they’re not interested in attending a college or university that bans chatbots such as ChatGPT.
Academic integrity and plagiarism policies are being updated by institutions of higher education to account for the use of AI tools. Bill Townsend, founder and CEO of company Co, said “allowing students to leverage tools like ChatGPT is not much different than giving them an open-book test. In order to pass, students still have to understand the material and how to utilize their resources, whether that be a textbook or a chatbot, in the most effective way.”
