Schools face challenge in preventing students from using ChatGPT for cheating
Artificial intelligence (AI) is making it increasingly difficult for teachers to determine if their students are using the technology to cheat, according to a report from education think tank EDSK. One AI model that has raised concerns is ChatGPT, which can compose text and respond to questions like a human. This has led to fears that students could use the technology to write essays and coursework.
The rise of advanced AI technology is making it increasingly difficult to determine if students are doing their own work or relying on the technology to complete assignments. EDSK, in its report, warned that it is "virtually impossible" for teachers to ascertain if submitted work was completed by the student or an AI model.
The UK's major exam boards have said that pupils should be expected to complete some coursework "in class and under direct supervision" to reduce the risk of cheating. Ofqual's chief regulator, Jo Saxton, has also stressed the importance of traditional exams in light of the rise of ChatGPT, stating that all coursework and essays should be done under supervised conditions.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, has called for a mix of academic and vocational options, tailored to the needs of each student, that incorporates AI as a tool to aid learning rather than as a means of cheating. The Department for Education has stated that exams are the "best and fairest form of assessment" but that non-exam assessment does exist with strict rules in place to ensure the work submitted is that of the student.
