Student wants $8,000 back for tuition after catching professor using ChatGPT
Ella Stapleton, a senior student at Northeastern University, filed a formal complaint against the institution demanding a refund of her tuition after discovering that her professor used AI tools to write lectures.
Stapleton commented on a New York Times article that claimed the professor's texts contained "obvious signs of AI", including images of figures with "additional limbs". In addition, one of the lectures contained an "accidental" reference to ChatGPT hidden in the bibliography.
"He told us that he doesn't use AI. And then we find this," Stapleton complains.
Professor's Admission
In the complaint, the student demanded that the institution refund her tuition fees of about $8,000, but it was rejected. Professor Rick Arrowood, with over 15 years of experience, eventually admitted that he used AI tools for "note-taking", including ChatGPT chatbot, Perplexity AI search engine, and Gamma presentation generator.
"Looking back, I wish I had considered these issues more carefully," Arrowood told the publication. He now believes that teachers should carefully consider the integration of artificial intelligence and be transparent with students about when and how they use it. "If my experience can be something that people can learn from. Then, okay, my happiness."
Institution's Stance
Meanwhile, Northeastern University spokesperson Renata Nul stated that the institution supports the use of AI to improve all aspects of education, research, and operations. They offer a variety of resources while updating and implementing relevant policies at the institution.
Students were among the first to use ChatGPT since its launch in 2022, and teachers were concerned that they could not distinguish between AI and human texts. According to Tyton Partners, in 2023, 22% of university professors surveyed "often" used generative artificial intelligence. By 2024, this figure almost doubled to 40%. The main ways it is used include creating class assignments, writing syllabi, grading student work, and creating quizzes and tests.
Another OpenAI survey published in February stated that more than a third of young people in the US aged 18 to 24 use ChatGPT, with 25% of their queries related to learning and schoolwork.
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