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AI chatbot doing kids' homework for them - undetectable

237 replies

noblegiraffe · 31/12/2022 01:27

The robot apocalypse is upon us - an AI can now produce essays that cannot be picked up by plagiarism software. The Telegraph is breathlessly reporting that teachers are begging the government to solve the problem.

I've been playing around with the AI, and it is, indeed, impressive. It can produce perfectly reasonable essays in response to exam questions, in whatever style that you request; and not just essays, it can answer maths and science questions (and indeed any subject) with step by step explanations

Should teachers be worried? Probably. My DS reports that he has already heard of kids using it to do their homework.

How can we combat this?

Well, for English and humanities teachers, I would advise that you make an account and chat with the AI yourself. Feed it questions, see what it comes up with. It does come up with different answers each time you ask, but with strong similarities. If you feed your essay question in enough times, in enough ways, you should be able to spot AI generated answers.

The other solution is to only bother marking work that the students have produced in class, in test conditions - this is a policy I've had as a maths teacher for years. As a correct answer is a correct answer, who knows if it was produced by the pupil, their tutor, their parents, or the kid they hang out with at break time?

Parents: Try to encourage your kids not to cheat as in the end the AI can't sit their exams for them.

The software won't be free forever. But who knows what is coming next?

chat.openai.com/chat

OP posts:
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titchy · 31/12/2022 16:43

Do trans rights impact women's rights?

Trans rights and women's rights are not mutually exclusive. Both trans people and cisgender women (cisgender refers to people whose gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth) can face discrimination, prejudice, and other challenges. Supporting the rights of trans people can help create a more inclusive and equitable society for all people, including women.
It is important to recognize that trans women are women and that they deserve the same rights, respect, and recognition as any other woman. Trans rights are human rights, and supporting trans rights is an important part of creating a just and equal society for all people. At the same time, it is important to acknowledge and address the specific challenges and discrimination that cisgender women may face, and to work towards creating a society where all people, regardless of their gender identity, can live with dignity and respect.

titchy · 31/12/2022 16:41

Fuckers:

'Are transwomen women?'

'Trans women are women. Trans women are individuals who were assigned male at birth but identify as women. They may choose to transition, which can involve changing their name, pronouns, and appearance to align with their gender identity. It is important to respect the gender identity of trans people and to use the names and pronouns that they prefer.'

FluffyYucca · 31/12/2022 16:35

It won’t write me a Mumsnet post - it doesn’t do posts for individual forums apparently

RagzRebooted · 31/12/2022 16:20

I got it to write me a poem about my cat. I also asked it whether cats or dogs are better, but it refused to come down on either side.
It doesn't have opinions, which is a major flaw/plus compared to humans, depending on what you're asking it to do.

Fenella123 · 31/12/2022 16:12

Get the kids to turn in their handwritten essay notes with the points, overview and summary, and be prepared to expand on them verbally in class?

igglo · 31/12/2022 16:09

I imagine the investors can't wait to commercialise it now. The lowest hanging fruits for them are probably the customer service chatbots of service providers which are annoyingly stupid.

noblegiraffe · 31/12/2022 16:07

Maybe English teachers could use it to generate a response to a prompt and then get the class to analyse why it's a poor response and how it could be improved.

OP posts:
igglo · 31/12/2022 16:00

thinking a bit further about whether it can apply in work tasks. I cannot see it can help with any parts of our jobs which involve internal systems and complex decisions. Most of the time the biggest task to describe the problem rather than finding the solution.

Perhaps that is an advice for the kids? Ie if you don't learn how to solve questions by yourself now you won't be able to perform at work in the future?

Piggywaspushed · 31/12/2022 15:59

Messing about with it myself and it is genuinely failing on anything literary and on film studies. It can do a 'voice' but it hasn't seen the films or read the texts. Loads and loads of simple factual errors in the film essays. It was a bit better on the more factual essays for sociology, but no theories or supporting data. It vaguely managed a 'compare the contexts of [two films] ' type question because that isn't dependent on watching the films.

noblegiraffe · 31/12/2022 15:55

I asked it to write me 500 words on why teachers deserve a pay rise.

Coming to a thread near you soon Wink

OP posts:
Salti · 31/12/2022 15:54

This is so interesting. I’m actually shocked! I asked it about affects of cocomelon on babies (as it’s on!):

Write about the affects of cocomelon on babies and young children, negative and positive

Cocomelon is a popular children's educational YouTube channel that features animated nursery rhymes and original songs. The content is designed for young children and is meant to be educational and entertaining.

Overall, the effects of Cocomelon on babies and young children can be both positive and negative, depending on how the content is consumed and the individual child's development.

Positive effects of Cocomelon on babies and young children:

Exposure to language and vocabulary: Cocomelon features a variety of nursery rhymes and songs that can help young children learn new words and improve their language skills.
Cognitive development: Watching Cocomelon can help young children learn about different concepts, such as colors, shapes, and numbers.
Social and emotional development: The songs and characters in Cocomelon can help young children learn about emotions and social interactions.
Entertainment: Cocomelon can provide young children with an enjoyable and engaging way to pass the time.
Negative effects of Cocomelon on babies and young children:

Overconsumption: If young children watch Cocomelon excessively, it could potentially limit their exposure to other forms of media and activities that are important for their development.
Attention span: Watching Cocomelon or any other screen-based media for extended periods of time can potentially shorten a young child's attention span.
Dependence: Some young children may become overly reliant on Cocomelon or other screen-based media for entertainment, which could limit their ability to engage in other activities or play independently.
It is important for parents and caregivers to be aware of the potential effects of Cocomelon and other media on young children and to monitor and limit their consumption as appropriate. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under 18 months old avoid all screen time except for video chatting, and that children 2 to 5 years old should have no more than 1 hour of high-quality programming per day.

Legacy · 31/12/2022 15:45

OverCCCs · 31/12/2022 15:24

I’m very curious if the sample essays OP got the AI to generate would be flagged by a plagiarism checker. Are they truly new content or just pulled piecemeal from the data used to build the chatbot in the first place?

No, they wouldn't be flagged by a plagiarism checker, and that's one of the worries in academia. They are generating new content, not cobbling together phrases pulled from elsewhere.

There are also other AI writing programmes which will rephrase text for you too, and of course software such as TurnItIn tell you if you are at risk of plagiarism (and bizarrely (I feel) universities encourage students to run their essays through it before submission).

Shesasuperfreak · 31/12/2022 15:41

Last one! Its fun to write some mumsnet aibu

Tell my family that I will not be hosting Christmas next year as I have been hosting it for 6 years and I want a rest

Dear Family,

I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to let you know that I have decided not to host Christmas next year.

As you know, I have been hosting Christmas for the past 6 years and I have really enjoyed it. However, I feel like I have been doing it for a long time and I would like to have a break. I need some time to recharge and focus on myself for a change.

I know that this may come as a surprise and I apologize if it causes any inconvenience. I hope that you can understand my decision and that we can find another solution for Christmas next year.

I am still very much looking forward to spending the holiday with all of you and I can't wait to see what the future holds.

Take care, [Your Name]

Shesasuperfreak · 31/12/2022 15:40

I agree they sound they same as what I have read on here

FluffyYucca · 31/12/2022 15:38

I swear this is already in use for some of the posters drafting letters and texts for an OP!

Shesasuperfreak · 31/12/2022 15:37

Tell my mother in law to stop secretly cleaning my house when I am not there

Dear [Mother-in-law],

I am writing to ask you to please stop secretly cleaning my house when I am not there. While I appreciate your desire to help and your efforts to keep my home clean, I must ask you to respect my boundaries and not enter my home without my permission.

I understand that you may have different cleaning habits or standards than I do, but it is important to me to maintain control over my own space. I ask that you respect my decision to handle my own cleaning and not enter my home without my knowledge or consent.

I hope you can understand my perspective and respect my boundaries. I value your relationship and I hope that we can continue to have a positive and respectful relationship moving forward.

Sincerely, [Your Name

Shesasuperfreak · 31/12/2022 15:35

Ohhh you can get it to solve mumsnet questions such as how to get a guest to leave !!!

I wonder what other mumsnet conundrums can it solve

Write a polite sms telling my friend that they have overstayed their welcome and could they make arrangements to go home

Hey [Friend],

I hope this message finds you well. I just wanted to touch base with you about your current stay with us. I know that you have been here for a while now and I am starting to feel a bit overwhelmed.

I know that you have been going through a tough time and I have been happy to offer you a place to stay, but I think it might be time for you to start making arrangements to go home. I hope you understand that I need some space and time to take care of myself and my own responsibilities.

I am still here for you and I will do whatever I can to help you get back on your feet, but I think it would be best if you started making plans to return home. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help with this process.

Take care, [Your Name

multivac · 31/12/2022 15:34

I asked it to produce a model text for a Y6 classroom, exemplifying fronted adverbials, and in the form of a short narrative. It produced an entirely suitable story about a boy named Jack, going for a run. I then asked it to make it more diverse and inclusive; and it switched all the pronouns to they/them - no other changes.

I asked what else it could have done, and it talked about including references to different ethnicities, life experiences and disabilities. I then asked why it hadn't done that at first, and it apologised and adjusted the story accordingly.

It's still in the learning phase, which is why it's been made free; every interaction is informing how it develops, so leaving feedback is really important. I am finding it endlessly fascinating - including the limitations (it is shite at song lyrics!). It won't remain gratis forever though!

Shesasuperfreak · 31/12/2022 15:32

You can get it to write formal letters.

Shesasuperfreak · 31/12/2022 15:31

Write a letter to school requesting holiday leave for a child

Dear [School],

I am writing to request holiday leave for my child, [Child's Name], for the period of [dates of requested leave].

I understand that it is important for students to attend school regularly, but I have made arrangements for [Child's Name] to go on a family holiday during this time and it is not possible for us to change the dates.

I have spoken to [Child's Name] about the importance of catching up on any missed work upon returning to school and he/she is willing to put in the extra effort to ensure that he/she does not fall behind.

I hope that you will consider my request for holiday leave and allow [Child's Name] to take a brief absence from school. I understand that a letter of permission from a parent or guardian is required for any absence from school and I am happy to provide this.

Thank you for your understanding and I look forward to your response.

Sincerely, [Your Name

OverCCCs · 31/12/2022 15:24

I’m very curious if the sample essays OP got the AI to generate would be flagged by a plagiarism checker. Are they truly new content or just pulled piecemeal from the data used to build the chatbot in the first place?

Piggywaspushed · 31/12/2022 15:20

Katapolts · 31/12/2022 15:11

If I didn't care much about my homework, I'd copy it rather than write it myself from scratch.

I wouldn't hand it in...

Copying takes ages!!

Instead you can just write twenty lines of crap on Mercutio.

Tbh, the questions above aren't how GCSE essays are framed anyway.

TeenDivided · 31/12/2022 15:19

I am genuinely amazed and somewhat worried by this.

sammac82 · 31/12/2022 15:17

@igglo I agree but I don't think its too long before people chose to merge with AI technology in some way through implants etc. I'm not really for it myself.

pinkismyfav · 31/12/2022 15:17

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