Is It Ethical to Use AI Tools Like ChatGPT for Essay Writing?

Human-like written materials generated at lightning-fast speeds? Check. Accurate and cohesive responses made in natural human language within seconds? Check. Videos with astonishing details and cinematography? Check.

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Generative AI is racing past milestones faster than anything ever seen before. All you need is a prompt or an idea, and generative models like ChatGPT will conjure near-impeccable quality written content instantly. Latest releases like the Meta Movie Gen will create a life-like video for you with perfect lighting, resolution, & everything within a matter of minutes or less. That’s the sheer POWER of AI right there. And that’s precisely where all the CONTROVERSY takes root!

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Models like ChatGPT are one-stop solutions for anyone looking to generate instant answers for their essays & assignments. That's a blessing for students who are weak in a subject, ill-prepared, or are short on time. But submitting content generated by an AI/some other entity as your own – isn't that a straight-up violation of the core tenets of academic integrity?

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The convenient benefits vs the potential for misuse – this is one hell of a dilemma that begs the question - Is it ethical to use ChatGPT to write essays & other academic assignments?

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The Dilemma of Using AI in Education

Here are some information & stats on the use of generative AI in education →

???? 4 out of 10 students are supposedly using ChatGPT to write their assignments.

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???? Since 2023, there have been numerous instances of students found cheating and causing plagiarism using ChatGPT & the like.

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???? Numerous institutions across the USA and the world have imposed restrictions, while some have outright banned the use of ChatGPT.

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???? On the other end, numerous renowned universities are also encouraging the use of AI tools in higher education and academic research.

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The consensus seems to be particularly divided when it comes to using AI in education. Some careful analysis and objective, critical thinking reveal that this divisiveness is not the consequence of the immense capabilities of generative AI but of the unreliability of human nature.

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ChatGPT or anything kind of generative AI, like any other piece of technology, is just a tool in the hands of man. How anyone uses them and for what purpose is solely their choice. The question of whether it is ethical to use ChatGPT for essay writing is actually a question of human ethics.

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Should You Use ChatGPT for Essay Writing? It All Depends on You!

Everything depends on HOW you intend to use the tool.

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If you are using it to learn more about a topic or supplement your knowledge, then that’s perfectly fine. Models like ChatGPT get their information from a variety of prominent and authoritative, publicly available resources. You can be sure of obtaining near-accurate information from them. (Note the world near-information.)

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However, if you are using AI to write your essays for you, that’s a complete violation of academic integrity. Obviously, by writing, we mean using the generated information directly or through minimal paraphrasing with minimal or zero effort and input from your end.

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Now, the line between ethical and unethical use of ChatGPT/AI in education is very much blurred. The substantially subjective nature of the issue and the unpredictability of human nature & behavior are major reasons behind so. Numerous leading universities, such as MIT and Harvard, have put forth some minute but stringent observations that hold under all circumstances.

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The Negatives of? Using ChatGPT/AI

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???? Violation of Academic Integrity

If the use of AI systems has not been authorized, acknowledged, and agreed upon, that can be considered a violation of academic integrity and tantamount to plagiarism. That is because students will be submitting writing that they do not produce.

???? Failed Learning Outcomes

Using AI to gather information, solve questions, and craft answers does not serve any kind of academic goal. The researching and critical thinking aspects of essay and assignment writing are violated in such cases, making evaluation of student performance near impossible.

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???? Impaired Skill Development

When students begin to use AI blatantly for all their essays & assignments, there’s a very high chance of them becoming dependent upon it. This deprives them of the opportunities to develop foundational cognitive skills that are critical for growth.

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???? Hallucination & Incorrect Information

Generative AI tends to provide incorrect information as well as make up false information. Dubbed AI hallucination, you can never tell when you will end up working with made-up information that seems exceptionally true.

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???? Plagiarism of Other’s Works

Every bit of information provided by ChatGPT is sourced from somewhere else. Numerous renowned authors have filed lawsuits against Open AI and Microsoft due to the tool infringing upon their copyrights.

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The Positives of Using ChatGPT

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???? ChatGPT is a great way to generate accurate outlines and prompts for essays.

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???? Don’t have the time to read an entire book? Ask the tools to summarize key points from it.

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???? Generating titles, finding information sources, learning how to write, edit, and proofread — ChatGPT can turn out to be a great academic assistant in all such cases.

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So, what do you, dear reader, make of all that? When is it ethical, and when is it not ethical to use ChatGPT? Doesn’t the question about ethical AI usage beg an answer from the person using the AI? Does it not depend on how you intend to use the tool?

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The ethics of using ChatGPT for essay and assignment writing depends solely on the ethics and intention of the student using the tool. Think about what you want to do with the tool, be honest to yourself & everybody else, and respect academic integrity.

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Take care!

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FAQs:

1.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Is it ethical for students to use ChatGPT to conduct research for their essays?

It all depends on how students intend to use the tool. If they are using ChatGPT to solve questions and generate content that they later intend to paraphrase, that’s completely unethical. On the other hand, if they use the tool to learn more about a subject or understand something better, that is actually a way to supplement their learning.

2.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Can using ChatGPT lead to academic dishonesty?

If you are using AI-generated content directly or with minimal paraphrasing and, thus, not submitting work that’s your own, it amounts to academic dishonesty.

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3.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; How can one use AI ethically in education?

Generate ideas, develop outlines, learn more about a topic, ask for summaries of books, and clarify concepts - these are some great ways to use AI ethically in education.

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4.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; What are the consequences of using AI unethically in academics?

Loss of grades, damage to reputation & career, and expulsion are some serious consequences one can face. Equally serious is developing a dependency on the tool and, thereby, hindering learning and critical thinking.

5.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Are there any benefits of using ChatGPT in academic writing?

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ChatGPT can help one simplify complex concepts, learn more about a subject, get the gist of a book or paper, generate ideas & outlines, editing & proofreading. If used right, it can be a great supplement to traditional education.