Guardian investigation finds almost 7,000 proven cases of cheating – and experts says these are tip of the iceberg

Guardian investigation finds almost 7,000 proven cases of cheating – and experts says these are tip of the iceberg

Thousands of university students in the UK have been caught misusing ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence tools in recent years, while traditional forms of plagiarism show a marked decline, a Guardian investigation can reveal.

A survey of academic integrity violations found almost 7,000 proven cases of cheating using AI tools in 2023-24, equivalent to 5.1 for every 1,000 students. That was up from 1.6 cases per 1,000 in 2022-23.

Figures up to May suggest that number will increase again this year to about 7.5 proven cases per 1,000 students – but recorded cases represent only the tip of the iceberg, according to experts.

The data highlights a rapidly evolving challenge for universities: trying to adapt assessment methods to the advent of technologies such as ChatGPT and other AI-powered writing tools.

  • Flamekebab@piefed.socialEnglish
    2·
    1 day ago

    Seems like an awful lot of debt to go into for something that’s really not that valuable. If the certificate is the goal then a masters or PhD will end up being what’s needed and faking your way through undergrad won’t do much good.

    • Ech@lemm.eeEnglish
      31·
      22 hours ago

      This is a story ask about the UK, not the US, though I imagine the situation is similar.

        • Ech@lemm.eeEnglish
          31·
          22 hours ago

          Who’s going into debt to be at university in the UK?

          • Zombie@feddit.ukEnglish
            3·
            20 hours ago

            The English. £9,000 a year isn’t easy when you’re 18, throw on top rent, food, transport, socialising, many people go into debt.

            Student loans have more generous terms than ordinary loans, and you only pay them back when earning more than ~£25k (depends on the loan) but that’s still debt.