Cardiff Students Confess to Using AI in Essays

Several students from Cardiff University have recently admitted to using ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence (AI) program, to help them write their essays. The chatbot has been successful in assisting students in producing high-quality academic work, and as a result, the students have been awarded excellent grades. This trend has led the university to re-examine its policies and update its guidance.

Tom, who usually receives an average grade of 2.1, conducted an experiment in which he submitted two 2,500-word essays in January, one with the aid of ChatGPT and the other without. The essay he wrote using the AI program earned him a first-class grade, the highest mark he has ever received. In comparison, the essay he wrote without ChatGPT received a lower grade of 2.1.

Although Tom did not copy everything verbatim, he prompted the program with questions that enabled him to access information more quickly than he would have otherwise. He also stated that he would likely continue to use ChatGPT for essay planning and framing in the future.

Similarly, John, another student at Cardiff University, has used ChatGPT to assist him with his assignments. He has used the program several times since December and considers it a vital part of his work process. John has used ChatGPT to summarise concepts from his course that his lecturers have not adequately explained. Additionally, the program has been a useful tool for cutting out unnecessary waffle from his essays.

Both Tom and John maintain that they do not use ChatGPT to write their essays. Instead, they use the program to generate content that they can tweak and adapt themselves. Although they are confident that the AI influence in their work is undetectable, John is worried about being caught in the future. He fears that if transcripts of his communication with the AI network were ever discovered, his degree could be taken away.

The sudden rise in visits to the ChatGPT site during Cardiff University’s January 2023 assessment period has raised some concerns. However, the university believes that most of the visits have been legitimate and have come from its research network. Although ChatGPT does not insert references, students like John have had no issue filling them in themselves.

Cardiff University has stated that it takes allegations of academic misconduct seriously, including plagiarism. It has also updated its academic integrity policy to include the improper use of AI programs such as ChatGPT. The university discourages any form of academic misconduct and is committed to maintaining academic integrity.

In conclusion, while ChatGPT is a useful tool for generating content and assisting with essay writing, it is important to use it ethically and responsibly. Students must not use AI programs such as ChatGPT to write their essays entirely, as this constitutes academic misconduct. It is also crucial to acknowledge the source of any assistance received from AI programs and to reference any material appropriately. Ultimately, students must remember that academic integrity is of utmost importance, and academic misconduct in any form will not be tolerated.