As ChatGPT and other generative AI tools gain popularity, their impact on education has become increasingly evident, with students turning to these technologies for assistance with their assignments. One category of conversation related to cheating, “homework help,” has emerged as one of the most common type of queries from consumers.
Business Insider reports that since its launch in late 2022, ChatGPT has been a negative game-changer in the world of education, providing students with an easily accessible tool for cheating. A recent analysis of a large research dataset called WildChat, conducted by the Washington Post, shed light on the most common uses of AI chatbots. The study revealed that the second-most-common category of chatbot conversations, at 18 percent, was for homework assistance. This finding confirms what many educators have suspected: students are increasingly relying on AI to complete their assignments.
The Wall Street Journal reported that OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has developed a tool that can detect writing generated by their AI which it claims is 99.9 percent accurate. This “watermarking” method would allow educators to distinguish between human-written and AI-generated content. However, OpenAI has not yet released this tool, citing concerns about potential harm to non-native English speakers who use ChatGPT.
Interestingly, an OpenAI survey found that 69 percent of ChatGPT users believe cheating detection technology would lead to false accusations of AI use, and nearly 30 percent said they would use ChatGPT less if it deployed watermarks and a rival didn’t. This suggests that a significant portion of ChatGPT users are indeed utilizing the tool for cheating, and the lack of a watermarking feature may be encouraging this behavior.
Further evidence of ChatGPT’s popularity among students can be seen in the comments on social media. When OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, was spotted driving a multimillion-dollar Koenigsegg Regera, many TikTok users attributed his success to the AI’s role in helping them with their classes. Additionally, ChatGPT usage reportedly dropped during the summer vacation, indicating that student use is a significant driver of the tool’s popularity.
Read more at Business Insider here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
