Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Feb 19, 2025

ChatGPT: Cardiff students admit using AI on essays

ChatGPT: Cardiff students admit using AI on essays

University students have confessed to writing essays with the help of ChatGPT's artificial intelligence program.

Cardiff University students said they had received first class grades for essays written using the AI chatbot.

ChatGPT is an AI program capable of producing human-like responses and academic pieces of work.

Cardiff University said it was reviewing its policies and would issue new university-wide guidance shortly.

Tom, not his real name, is one of the students who conducted his own experiment using ChatGPT.

Tom, who averages a 2.1 grade, submitted two 2,500 essays in January, one with the help of the chatbot and one without.

For the essay he wrote with the help of AI, Tom received a first - the highest mark he has ever had at university.

In comparison, he received a low 2.1 on the essay he wrote without the software.

"I didn't copy everything word for word, but I would prompt it with questions that gave me access to information much quicker than usual," said Tom.

He also admitted that he would most likely continue to use ChatGPT for the planning and framing of his essays.

A recent Freedom of Information request to Cardiff University revealed that during the January 2023 assessment period, there were 14,443 visits to the ChatGPT site on the university's own wi-fi networks.

One month before, there were zero recorded visits.

OpenAI launched ChatGPT last November


Despite the increase in visits during January's assessment period, the university believes there is nothing to suggest that the visits were for illegitimate purposes.

"Most visits have been identified as coming from our research network - our School of Computer Science and Informatics, for example, has an academic interest in the research and teaching of artificial intelligence," said Cardiff University.

John, not his real name, is another student at the university who admitted using the software to help him with assignments.

"I've used it quite a few times since December. I think I've used it at least a little bit for every assessment I've had," he said.

"It's basically just become part of my work process, and will probably continue to be until I can't access it anymore.

"When I first started using it, I asked it to write stuff like 'compare this niche theory with this other niche theory in an academic way' and it just aced it."

Although ChatGPT does not insert references, John said he had no issue filling those in himself.

"I've also used it to summarise concepts from my course that I don't think the lecturers have been great at explaining," he said.

"It's a really good tool for cutting out the waffle that some lecturers go into for theories which you don't actually need to talk about in essays.

"It probably cuts about 20% of the effort I would need to put into an essay."

Both students said they do not use ChatGPT to write their essays, but to generate content they can tweak and adapt themselves.

As for being caught, John is certain that the AI influence in his work is undetectable.

"I see no way that anyone could distinguish between work completely my own and work which was aided by AI," he said.

However, John is concerned about being caught in the future. He said if transcripts of his communication with the AI network were ever found, he fears his degree could be taken away from him.

"I'm glad I used it when I did, in the final year of my degree, because I feel like a big change is coming to universities when it comes to coursework because it's way too easy to cheat with the help of AI," he said.

"I like to think that I've avoided this, whilst reaping the benefits of GPT in my most important year."

Cardiff University said it took allegations of academic misconduct, including plagiarism, "extremely seriously".

"Although not specifically referenced, the improper use of AI would be covered by our existing academic integrity policy," a spokesman said.

"We are aware of the potential impact of AI programmes, like ChatGPT, on our assessments and coursework.

"Maintaining academic integrity is our main priority and we actively discourage any student from academic misconduct in its many forms."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
UK Prime minister, Mr. Keir Starmer, has stated that any peace agreement aimed at ending the conflict in Ukraine "MUST" include a US security guarantee to deter Russian aggression
UK Leader Keir Starmer Calls for US Security Guarantee in Ukraine Peace Deal
Toronto Plane Crash: Delta Flight Ignites in a Fireball at Pearson Airport
NATO Chief Urges Higher Defense Expenditure in Europe
BYD Encounters Spike in Customer Grievances Regarding Smart EV Feature Implementation
Head of Russian Wealth Fund Emphasizes U.S. Dominance as Discussions Commence in Riyadh
DOGE Introduces Revised Treasury Identifier Strategies in Response to Federal Savings Initiatives.
Pope Francis Continues to be Hospitalized While Physicians Treat Complicated Infection
Meta Workers Voice Concerns Over Layoff Procedures Despite Company's Assertions of Performance-Driven Reductions
Iran Considers Moving Capital Due to Urban Difficulties
Elon Musk claims that millions of Americans aged between 100 and 159 are recorded in a vital US database.
Trump's Appearances in the Oval Office Reinterpret Presidential Communication
Starmer Calls for US 'Backstop' for Ukraine Peace Deal After European Leaders' Meeting
Scotland Initiates Early Release of Prisoners to Address Overcrowding
The Princess of Wales and Children Share Artistic Portraits
Policy on Refugee Citizenship Draws Criticism from Unions and Faith Leaders
Fibrus Broadband Service Faces Ongoing Challenges After Storm Éowyn
Caldicot School Enforces Strict Discipline Under New Leadership
Supreme Court Blocks Treasury Intervention in Car Loans Case
Bafta 2025: Conclave and The Brutalist Stand Out at the Awards Ceremony
Almost Two Billion Dollars of taxpayer funds are recovered by the DOGE Task Force after going unaccounted for during the Biden administration.
No, you corrupt European leaders—the Nazi genocide apparatus did NOT come about due to free speech.
U.S. State Department Removes Taiwan Independence Statement from Website
Eliminating opposition will not rescue Germany from Nazism—this is precisely what led Germany to become Nazi!
Transatlantic Gold Rush: Traders Shift Bullion in Response to Tariff Concerns and Market Turmoil
Elon Musk advocates for thorough and regular audits of US gold reserves as new proposals confront long-standing review methods.
Bill Ackman Invests in Uber as the Company Shifts Towards Profitability.
AI Giants Take on Nvidia's Supremacy with New Chip Innovations
US and Russian Officials to Meet in Saudi Arabia Over Ending Ukraine Conflict. Ukraine and European leaders – who profit from this war – excluded from the negotiations.
Macron Convenes Urgent Summit as Business Model Amid Ukraine Conflict Faces Threat
Trump Administration Eases AI Restrictions Amid Scarlett Johansson’s Regulatory Demands
Trump’s Defense Secretary: Ukraine Won’t Join NATO or Regain Lost Territories
European Leaders Hold Urgent Summit on Ukraine in Light of US-Russia Peace Negotiations
Flight Reductions at Ronaldsway Airport Attributed to Demand Changes
JD Vance's Claims on Scottish Abortion Buffer Zones Elicit Controversy
Dogs Audition for Role in Glasgow Comedy Play Amidst Festival Celebrations
Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves Faces Scrutiny Over Expenses and CV Claims
Investigation Launched Following Fatal Shooting Outside Kent Pub
UK Ticket-Holder Wins £65 Million EuroMillions Jackpot on Valentine's Day
UK Military Insufficiently Resourced for Potential Ukraine Peacekeeping Mission, Former Army Chief Warns
Netflix Relocates Bafta Afterparty Following Fire at Chiltern Firehouse
Scottish A&E Waiting Times Reach Record Highs, Urging Call for Systemic Reforms
British Couple Detained in Iran as Family Seeks Safe Return
Zelensky Urges Increased Military Expansion in Europe as US Support Remains Uncertain
AI-Driven Virtual Boyfriends Rise in Popularity in China
Chinese Zoo Confesses to Painting Donkeys to Look Like Zebras
Zelensky Highlights the Importance of European Participation in Peace Negotiations at the Munich Security Conference.
Zelensky Prevents Trump-Backed Minerals Agreement Due to Security Issues
Trump's Legal Issues and Claim of Executive Power
Leaders of BRICS Set to Gather in Rio de Janeiro for July Summit
×