ChatGPT or CheatGPT? Irish students weigh in on the latest AI

Analysis: new research shows Irish students are in the midst of deciding whether it's ethical or not to use the new AI tools

By Roisin Lyons, Christina O'Connor and Finn Lannon, University of Limerick

There's a state of flux at present within the education sector about the latest iteration of artificial intelligence and models such as ChatGPT - or what may be regarded in some quarters as 'CheatGPT'. Increasingly, experts and citizens are noting the implications these generating AI tools will have on almost every industry, including journalism, customer services and education. As government and industry weigh up its threat to civilization, this all seems extremely far removed from the lecture halls across Irish universities.

As of April 2023, ChatGPT had 173 million active users worldwide, many of whom are students who have been logging on to examine its potential to simplify complex pieces of text, draft essays, and a multitude of other uses. For such tasks, the usefulness and speed of this tool is undeniable.

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From RTÉ Radio 1's Drivetime, should Chat GPT be considered when reforming the Leaving Cert?

However, other students may be using it to evade ‘doing the work’ and produce quick fixes for assessment deadlines. What these students may fail to grasp is that while the content may be on their submission page, the knowledge may not be. Indeed, ChatGPT's patent company OpenAI itself notes the potential unreliability of the tool. "While tools like ChatGPT can often generate answers that sound reasonable," the company points out, "they can not be relied upon to be accurate consistently or across every domain."

Many student assignments at third-level involve reading and referencing key academic articles and scholarly work and this, again, is an issue for the tool. "It cannot verify facts, provide references, or perform calculations or translations. For these reasons, it's crucial that students know how to evaluate the trustworthiness of information using external, reliable sources."

So, what do the students think about this new disrupter? Despite its direct effect on them, experts note that the student voice is missing from much of the discussion. A US survey of 1,000 students found that over half of those asked agreed that using AI tools to complete assignments and exams counts as cheating or plagiarism while one in five admitted using it for schoolwork.

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In our currently ongoing research, we talked to 450 Gen Z students studing business about their use and perception of AI and the results are pretty definitive. Students who consider themselves good at technology are more likely to find the use of AI for college work to be unethical, than those who aren't good at tech. Perhaps these tech-savvy students have experienced the multitude of generative tools, such as Dall-E for artwork or Presentations.ai for instant slide decks, and recognise their potential for misuse or even plagiarism?

Students who consider themselves good at tech are also more inclined to use AI for their college work and industry-related inquiry. The bottom line is that tech-savvy Irish students who recognise the power of generative AI may know these tools are unethical but use them anyway.

With an increasing plethora of generative AI tools launching every day, this summer period will see a lot of third level institutions working at all departmental levels to create a consistent and standard AI policy in advance of the next academic term. But even then, advances are taking place with AI use that raises the sophistication to such a level that pre-set policies may be redundant even before they are enacted. For example, plagiarism detection software updates may be thwarted by additional tools such as QuillbotRephrase to disguise the use of the Chat GPT in the first instance

Many educators want to enable the ethical and productive use of generative AI, recognising it as a welcome disruptor, and one that should be leveraged rather than ignored or banned. ChatGPT can improve students' employability outcomes and has the potential to revolutionize many fields of work. It may not be long before the students who perform the best will be those who develop critical thinking and information literacy skills around AI. They will be able to enter inputs and analyze outputs produced by ChatGPT and other AI tools appropriately.

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Some educators have begun to use the tool to develop essay structures, or to generate customised reading passages. Others have begun to flip the traditional approach to assessment, requiring students to apply their knowledge of a topic to critique the piece of work they populate from an AI tool, rather than write it themselves.

Misappropriation of AI aside, there is a darker threat that is counterintuitive to what third level is all about. The tool has a tendency to perpetuate bias and stereotypes, including one that skews towards more Western perspectives and people. As a university sector that seeks to open minds, foster critical thinking and opinions and embrace diversity of thought and inclusivity, this threatens the foundational principles of scholarship. Should these tools (together with the already destructive consequences of social media) play a role in subtlety changing our subconscious and enforcing biases, there will be devastating implications for our students, and society at large.

The time is now for change in how Irish universities embrace these AI tools. This change must take into consideration the current uses and perceptions of our students as they navigate their academic journeys in preparation for the world of work, balancing the development of knowledge with new information technologies.

Dr. Roisin Lyons is a Lecturer of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the Kemmy Business School at the University of Limerick. Dr. Christina O'Connor is a Lecturer in Marketing in the Kemmy Business School at the University of Limerick. Finn Lannon is an Associate Teacher in Psychology in the Faculty of Education and Health Sciences at the University of Limerick.

The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ

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