Students and teachers can both benefit from artificial intelligence (AI), but ensuring that the technology is being used ethically and responsibly is important. Software that detects if content is created by a human or AI can help teachers ensure that their students aren’t using AI to avoid doing their work themselves.
To learn more, check out the infographic below, created by Augusta University Online’s Master of Education in Instruction.
AI technology has become more popular in recent years, and some students are embracing it. For example, students are using ChatGPT, an AI chatbot that interacts with users through dialogue. Users can ask the program questions and receive fast answers. Though some improvements need to be made, ChatGPT can be a fast way to get information, create content and get help with work.
In January 2023, Study.com surveyed 1,000 college students and found that 89% of them had used ChatGPT to help with their homework. They also found that 48% of college students had used ChatGPT for an at-home test or quiz, 53% had used ChatGPT to write an essay, and 22% had used ChatGPT to outline a paper. At the same time, 72% of college students believed that ChatGPT should be banned from their college network.
According to a survey by research firm Big Village, 40% of students aged 13-17 use ChatGPT to complete schoolwork and homework, but 60% believe that using AI is cheating. When asked why they use AI, teen students said it was just a tool (62%), they didn’t like school (24%) and retention didn’t matter because of technology (22%). Students also said they use it because others are using it (22%), they’re afraid of doing badly (17%) and they don’t believe the subject matter is important (8%).
Beyond ChatGPT, other AI services exist. Microsoft’s Bing Chat combines the Microsoft Bing search engine with ChatGPT. Students can use Bing Chat to find sources and get information quickly and easily. Google’s Bard generates creative content and text, writes code, and uses Google Lens to analyze images. Anthropic’s Claude 2 analyzes about 75,000 words and generates responses of about 3,000 words. Claude 2 can also summarize content and perform similar tasks.
Because AI technology has become so available recently, teachers and schools are still trying to figure out how to handle it.
According to a 2023 survey, about 60% of teachers know about ChatGPT. However, 3 in 5 teachers have never used it. A total of 50% of teachers believe that AI and ChatGPT will change their curriculum and the classroom in general.
AI detectors are AI programs that can detect if another program or a human created something. They’re trained on the same information as AI content programs. It can be difficult for people to tell if a student or an AI program created something. As AI technology continues to develop, detection may get even harder.
AI creator tools and AI detection tools will never be perfectly accurate. Humans created AI programs and are always training them on new information. AI detectors are a good way for teachers to catch students who are using AI to complete homework. AI content programs still produce mistakes and are usually fairly simple to spot. An AI detection program can save teachers time and catch anything that may slip past them.
Here are some AI detection programs that schools and teachers can use to check their students’ work.
Copyleaks uses algorithms to detect if a human or AI has written the content, such as essays, blogs and books. Text is pasted into a plagiarism checker on the website, and the results are produced in seconds. The first 250,000 words are free, but users will have to pay for an account after that.
Content at Scale uses natural language processing models to detect if a human or AI created the content. Full essays and articles of up to 25,000 characters can be pasted into the text area. Content at Scale is free to use.
GPTZero was created specifically for educators. Text can be pasted directly into the program, but PDF, Microsoft Word and text files can also be uploaded. It’s free, but requires users to create an account.
AI has uses beyond helping students with homework, and teachers are bringing AI into the classroom to take advantage of those uses. The Office of Educational Technology at the U.S. Department of Education created a report in May 2023 to provide insight and recommendations for schools and teachers who want to use AI.
Its main advice is to practice “ACE in AI,” which means “always center educators in AI.” AI isn’t a replacement for teachers, but a tool they can use to lighten their workload and provide more individualized support to students. It’s important to let teachers decide when and how to use AI.
AI can handle low-level details. Teachers can use AI to set notifications, timers and reminders. They can also have AI send resources to students, so they don’t have to stop what they’re doing. AI can record lectures, create notes and control presentation displays.
Teachers are pulled in a lot of directions during class, and they can’t be with students at every moment. AI can help students do homework or keep them on track in class. AI can also create small assignments, provide feedback and help when a student gets stuck.
AI detection software allows teachers to use AI in their classrooms while keeping students from relying too heavily on the technology. Teachers can use AI to help them give students more attention, make presentations easier, and track metrics and lessons. While some students do use AI to do their homework, most seem to agree that AI may lead to cheating and plagiarism.
Sources
Education Next, “AI in Education”
Educators Technology, “Best AI Checkers for Teachers and Educators”
Government Technology, “Survey: Most Teens Think Using AI for Schoolwork Is Cheating”
Morning Consult Intelligence, Teachers and K-12 Education
Office of Educational Technology, Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning
OpenAI, Introducing ChatGPT
Study.com, Productive Teaching Tool or Innovative Cheating?
