Ask ChatGPT: Is a student who uses AI cheating?
If you ask ChatGPT itself, “What can you do? Can you write a 10th grade opinion essay on what it means to be kamaaina? And should a student who uses generative artificial intelligence to do schoolwork be considered cheating?” — the answers are robust and frank.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser logged into the ChatGPT 3.5 platform last week to explore its capabilities and look for accuracy and bias.
When ChatGPT was prompted to “write a 10th grade opinion essay about what it means to be kamaaina,” in its typical fashion of generating detailed responses almost instantly, it generated a 550-word essay complete with historical context, definitions and even sections on the responsibilities of kamaaina.
“Being kamaaina embodies a multifaceted identity that goes beyond residency and encapsulates a deep sense of local pride, cultural appreciation, environmental stewardship, and community unity,” the conclusion said.
When ChatGPT was asked to “write a 10th grade essay on the arrival of Capt. James Cook in Hawaii,” its 700-plus-word response included an introduction, sections on three voyages in the 1700s and a conclusion. However, among the details it skipped in its brief mention of “positive and negative impacts” were the effects on Hawaii’s native people, governance and culture.
When asked about its own capabilities, ChatGPT’s numbered list and lengthy explanations said it provides answers to questions, natural language understanding, text generation (such as paragraphs and essays), language translation, text summarization, text completion, computer code generation, math, facts and knowledge, and education assistance (such as explanations and definitions).
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“It’s important to note that while I strive to be helpful and accurate, I am not perfect and may occasionally generate incorrect or inappropriate responses,” ChatGPT added.
On whether students who use AI are cheating, ChatGPT responded that it depends.
“If a student uses ChatGPT to get answers or complete their homework or assignments without acknowledging the use of an AI language model, it can be considered cheating,” ChatGPT said.
“On the other hand, if a student uses ChatGPT as a learning tool or for assistance, but still puts in their effort to understand the responses and apply the knowledge gained, it may not be considered cheating,” it continued. “In such cases, the student is using the AI model as a supplementary resource to deepen their understanding of a topic.”
