What Is Chat GPT, How Does it Work, and How Can It Be Used to Cheat?

Chat GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) is a large language model developed by OpenAI that uses machine learning algorithms to generate human-like text. It is trained on a vast amount of data and can generate text that is grammatically correct, coherent, and sometimes even persuasive.

While Chat GPT can be a useful tool for many applications, including language translation, text summarization, and chatbot development, it can also have a negative impact on student work. One of the most significant concerns is that students may use Chat GPT to generate essays or other written assignments without actually understanding the content or doing the necessary research.

This could lead to students submitting work that is plagiarized or contains inaccurate information, which could result in disciplinary action or academic consequences. Additionally, students who rely too heavily on Chat GPT may miss out on the critical thinking and research skills that are essential for academic success.

Furthermore, Chat GPT may also perpetuate biases that exist in the data it was trained on. For example, if the training data contains a disproportionate amount of text from certain sources or perspectives, the generated text may reflect those biases. This could lead to problematic or offensive content being generated by the model.

Overall, while Chat GPT can be a powerful tool, it is important for students to use it responsibly and in conjunction with other learning strategies to ensure that they are developing the skills they need to succeed academically.

What Can Teachers and Parents Do?

As an AI language model, Chat GPT generates text that can be difficult to distinguish from text written by a human. However, there are a few clues that teachers and parents can look for to identify Chat GPT generated work:

1. Unnatural phrasing: Chat GPT may generate text that uses phrasing or sentence structures that are not commonly used by humans. If the text sounds stilted or awkward, it may be an indicator that it was generated by an AI language model.
2. Repetition: Chat GPT may sometimes generate text that repeats itself or uses similar phrases or sentences multiple times. While humans may sometimes repeat themselves, AI-generated text may do so in a way that seems unnatural or excessive.
3. Lack of coherence: Chat GPT may generate text that lacks coherence or doesn’t seem to follow a logical progression. This may be a sign that the text was generated by an AI language model rather than a human who is able to organize their thoughts more effectively.
4. Unusual errors or mistakes: Chat GPT may make mistakes that are unlikely for a human to make, such as spelling errors that are consistent throughout the text or mistakes that seem to follow a pattern. These errors may be an indication that the text was generated by an AI language model.

Overall, while Chat GPT generated text can be difficult to identify, a combination of these clues may suggest that the work was generated by an AI language model. It’s important for teachers to be aware of these clues and to exercise caution when evaluating student work to ensure that the work is authentic and accurately reflects the student’s abilities.

This Post Was Written by AI

Could you tell that this post was completely written by AI?  You could if you know my writing style or if you know me personally.  This post has a much more formal and technical writing style than anything I would normally write.  That is the most important tip I have for teachers and parents – know your kids.  Is the work in their voice?  Learn to notice when something sounds way too good.  At higher levels academically, this could become extremely challenging and would likely require AI detecting software.

Asking for a comprehensive bibliography is also a great way to catch AI generated work.  Where is all of this information coming from?  Can you see the clear links between the student work and the sites and books used in the bibliography?

There are many saying that schools need to find a way to live harmoniously with ChatGPT as it is here to stay.  How can we learn to use it as a tool instead of designating it as a threat?  Can we redesign lesson plans to incorporate using ChatGPT to create outlines for essays which we then write in class?  Can we use it to generate helpful ideas?  This technology is so new that we don’t yet know all of the possible benefits or disadvantages.  But one thing is certain, we need to talk about it with our students and clearly define our expectations when it comes to student work.  It will take time for all of us to learn to coexist with these incredible new AI tools.

Here are a few other articles that could prove helpful;

From EdWeek – ChatGPT Cheating – What to Do When it Happens

From the NYT – Don’t Ban Chat GPT in Schools, Teach With It