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Original poster

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

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8
igglo · 31/12/2022 14:54

I'm too amazed by this incredible machine. It seems to be able to produce lengthy answers for almost everything. I've tried asking for a translation from another language and blimey it can even translate poems and got pretty correct the literary nuances that even a native speaker might struggle with. Normal text translation is way better than Goolg or Microsoft auto translate.

TeenDivided · 31/12/2022 14:48

Legacy · 31/12/2022 14:46

  1. Not all dyslexia manifests as poor spelling and grammar! (common misconception)
  2. My dyslexic child has been encouraged at both school and university to run his work through spellchecker to avoid this (and does not lose marks for poor spelling anyway as part of his ILP)
Show quote history

Sorry, I should have put mimic 'my dyslexic child' not 'a".

Legacy · 31/12/2022 14:46

TeenDivided · 31/12/2022 14:34

I am really shocked at the quality of what is being produced (though spotted the lack of quotes in the R&J output).
Can you ask it to do poor spelling and grammar to mimic a dyslexic child?

  1. Not all dyslexia manifests as poor spelling and grammar! (common misconception)
  2. My dyslexic child has been encouraged at both school and university to run his work through spellchecker to avoid this (and does not lose marks for poor spelling anyway as part of his ILP)
Notellinganyone · 31/12/2022 14:45

I can always spot plagiarism. If you teach kids English and have lots of lessons with them and see their day to day work it’s very easy to spot changes in syntax, vocabulary etc

TeenDivided · 31/12/2022 14:44

The minor spelling mistakes were plausible. The poor spelling and grammar I think wasn't, (though I should have asked for poor punctuation too.). No good for my DD then Grin

Original poster
noblegiraffe · 31/12/2022 14:42

Shesasuperfreak · 31/12/2022 14:39

Gosh it can even do lazy Journos work

There's the Daily Mail's output sorted.

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Original poster
noblegiraffe · 31/12/2022 14:41

I've seen on twitter people using it to write an MP's response to a frustrated constituent. Definitely more uses than just teens who can't be arsed to do their homework.

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Shesasuperfreak · 31/12/2022 14:39

Gosh it can even do lazy Journos work

AI chatbot doing kids' homework for them - undetectable
Original poster
noblegiraffe · 31/12/2022 14:39

Or, Teen the above was with minor spelling errors, below is with poor spelling and grammar.

"Complex personality" gives it away, I think!

AI chatbot doing kids' homework for them - undetectable
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Original poster
noblegiraffe · 31/12/2022 14:37

Teachers will know their students well enough to spot a level 4 pupil submitting a level 9 essay

Which is why they would then ask it to rewrite at a lower level.

And would you spot a grade 9 student who was using it?

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Original poster
noblegiraffe · 31/12/2022 14:36

TeenDivided · 31/12/2022 14:34

I am really shocked at the quality of what is being produced (though spotted the lack of quotes in the R&J output).
Can you ask it to do poor spelling and grammar to mimic a dyslexic child?

"Mercutio is a character in Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. He's known for being funny and making jokes, even when things are getting serios. He's also impulsive and quick to anger, which can lead to problems. But despite his flaws, he's a loyal frend and brave in fights. He definitley adds some depth to the story with his complex personality."

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Shesasuperfreak · 31/12/2022 14:36

I asked it to write a youtube style scripts for an unsolved crime and it bloody wrote it!

With an opening welcome to our channel and a closing subscribe for more.

TeenDivided · 31/12/2022 14:34

I am really shocked at the quality of what is being produced (though spotted the lack of quotes in the R&J output).
Can you ask it to do poor spelling and grammar to mimic a dyslexic child?

Aquasulis · 31/12/2022 14:33

Teachers will know their students well enough to spot a level 4 pupil submitting a level 9 essay and they will ask questions and discuss. Exams back so only cheating themselves. It would be an automatic flag up if coursework assessments were much higher than tests

Shesasuperfreak · 31/12/2022 14:33

I think people will let their children use it. I had never heard of it before and I wish it was around when I was doing my apprenticeship.

I am impressed but its like you told us about a drug that we had never heard of that was giving off the best high of your life and you were just warning us to not use it.

GameBoy · 31/12/2022 14:27

Should AI essay-writing software be banned?

It is not appropriate to ban AI essay-writing software outright. However, it is important to consider how this technology is used and to ensure that it is not used in a way that is unethical or harmful.
There are potential benefits to using AI essay-writing software. For example, it can help students learn to write by providing feedback and suggestions on their writing. It can also save time and effort for educators who would otherwise have to grade a large number of essays manually.
However, there are also potential risks associated with the use of AI essay-writing software. For example, if students use the software to write essays that they submit for grades or credits, it could be considered cheating. In addition, if the software is not designed and used properly, it could produce inaccurate or biased results.
It is important for educators, students, and others to consider the potential benefits and risks of AI essay-writing software and to use it in a responsible and ethical manner. This may involve establishing clear guidelines for its use, such as requiring students to disclose when they have used the software and to provide their own original ideas and analysis in their writing.

(I couldn't be ar$ed to write anything, so here's what it gave me to the opening question. Took about 5 seconds!) 😮

Original poster
noblegiraffe · 31/12/2022 14:26

Shesasuperfreak · 31/12/2022 14:26

OP I think you are opening a can of worms here dont you?

What do you mean?

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Original poster
noblegiraffe · 31/12/2022 14:26

You could probably use a website to generate a burner phone number.

I think they need it to ward off bots more than anything.

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Shesasuperfreak · 31/12/2022 14:26

OP I think you are opening a can of worms here dont you?

rosebunched · 31/12/2022 14:22

Is there a way to try it without giving them my phone number?

Original poster
noblegiraffe · 31/12/2022 14:20

Hawkins001 · 31/12/2022 14:18

What's the name of the site or software please

Show quote history

chat.openai.com/chat

You have to create an account to be able to use it.

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Original poster
noblegiraffe · 31/12/2022 14:19

It feels a bit like when calculators were invented and everyone proclaimed they would lead to cheating and the demise of maths skills. And yet now they are an essential tool in maths education and have replaced some of the basic grunt work.

And yet....maths assessments have had to adapt to account for them. We have a non-calculator paper at GCSE to force students to be able to solve problems without them. At A-level, we don't have a non-calculator paper and this is causing problems. Exam papers have to ask students to 'show detailed reasoning' so that we know that they haven't just typed the question in to their calculator. Calculators that can do symbolic algebra are also banned!

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Hawkins001 · 31/12/2022 14:18

noblegiraffe · 31/12/2022 14:17

I think a smart teen wouldn't copy the text directly but use it for discussion points and tips. The AI is also good at coming up with arguments for and against propositions.

What's the name of the site or software please

Hawkins001 · 31/12/2022 14:17

I guess cheaper than essay mills, and more unique

Original poster
noblegiraffe · 31/12/2022 14:17

I think a smart teen wouldn't copy the text directly but use it for discussion points and tips. The AI is also good at coming up with arguments for and against propositions.

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