More than half of college students (51 percent) believe that using AI tools like ChatGPT to complete assignments and exams counts as cheating or plagiarism, while 1 in 5 uses them anyway, a new report has said. According to a BestColleges survey of 1,000 current undergraduate and graduate students, about 43 percent of college students say they have experience using AI tools like ChatGPT.
Nine in ten students who have tried AI tools say they’ve used them for personal projects, out of curiosity, or for fun. Moreover, the report said that most college students (57 percent) say they do not intend to use or continue using AI to complete assignments or exams, however, close to a third (32 percent) do, and 11 percent prefer not to answer.
Among students who say they’ve used AI tools for schoolwork, half (50 percent) use these tools for some parts but complete the majority themselves. Further, the report mentioned that three in ten (30 percent) use AI for the majority of their assignment, and 17 percent use AI to complete an assignment and then turn it in with no edits.
While half of the college students believe that using AI tools is cheating, institutions are still debating whether AI should be banned from the classroom. About 54 percent of the college students say their instructors have not openly discussed the use of AI tools like ChatGPT, and, most college students (60 percent) say that neither their schools nor instructors have specified how to use AI tools ethically or responsibly.
Around 40 percent of students say that the use of AI by students defeats the purpose of education. Many students express concern about the impact of AI on their education or future careers, but they’re more concerned about the impact of AI on society at large.
About 27 percent of college students worry about the impact of AI on their education, and 31 percent are worried about the impact on their career or potential career, the findings showed.
Meanwhile, about half of the students (48 percent) are worried about the impact of AI on society in general. However, the majority of students (63 percent) agree that AI can’t replace human intelligence or creativity.
–IANS