Over the past few years, there has been a growing concern among academics about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in student assignments. As technology continues to advance, it is becoming easier for students to turn to AI for help with their work. This is a worrying trend, as it not only undermines the integrity of the education system, but also hinders the true learning process for students.
I was recently reminded of this issue when Dr Jonathan Fine, a lecturer in German Studies, shared a post on social media about a student who had admitted to getting help from a person on an assignment. In this case, Dr Fine chose not to penalize the student, simply because he was relieved that the help did not come from AI. This sentiment has been echoed by other professors as well, including Dr Steven Buckley, a lecturer in Media Digital Sociology who also helps his university to assess cases of academic misconduct.
In a recent TikTok video, Dr Buckley shared his experience of coming across a dissertation with what appeared to be “hallucinated” references. This is just one example of how AI is being used by students to cheat in their assignments. In light of this issue, I decided to speak to both Dr Fine and Dr Buckley about their experiences with AI in the academic world.
Dr Fine, who teaches a language that is not native to most of his students, says that he has been “paranoid” about machine translation for a long time. This is because he believes that AI poses a threat to the integrity of the learning process. “I teach German, so I’ve been paranoid about machine translation ever since I started teaching,” he said. “That’s always been my default attitude when reading student writing, so AI hasn’t been a major change for me or a big loss of trust in the students.”
However, Dr Fine also acknowledges that his experience may not be representative of those teaching in the humanities. He believes that as a language teacher, he is more aware of the potential use of AI by students. “I don’t allow students to use AI, and I tell them at the beginning of class how awkward the conversation is when they’re caught, but they use it anyway,” he added.
One of the reasons why it is difficult to detect the use of AI in assignments is because students can easily use it for in-class writing. This means that it is not always possible to catch them in the act. However, as Dr Fine pointed out, when AI is used, it is clear that the writing style is different from the student’s usual work. This gives professors a chance to use it as a teaching moment and explain to students why it is important to do their own work.
Dr Buckley, on the other hand, says that about 70% of the cases of academic misconduct that he has come across seem to involve the use of AI. He believes that this trend has grown rapidly in the past few years, and it has forced him and his colleagues to reconsider how they evaluate their students’ learning. While his experience has been limited to the humanities, Dr Buckley believes that the use of AI has also had an impact on STEM subjects.
“The use of AI has essentially outsourced the learning process for students,” he said. “These days, many students simply do not do any of the reading of the actual academic material and instead rely on things like ChatGPT or Notebook LM to provide a summary. These summaries are often at best very shallow and at worst are totally incorrect.”
Dr Buckley’s university does not use AI detectors to check student work, as they can be inaccurate. Instead, when a member of staff suspects the use of AI, they report it and an independent panel investigates the case. Dr Buckley is often part of this panel and personally goes through the essay to check for red flags such as hallucinated references. He also looks for signs that the student does not fully understand the theories and arguments presented in their work.
Furthermore, Dr Buckley adds that these essays often read “like shit.” This is a clear indication that AI is not a substitute for the real learning process, and it ultimately harms the student’s ability to think critically and develop their own ideas.
In conclusion, the use of AI in academic assignments is a growing concern among educators. While it may seem like a convenient tool for students, it ultimately undermines the integrity of the education system and hinders the true learning process. As Dr Fine and Dr Buckley have pointed out, it is important for students to
