AI Resources

We do NOT recommend using generative AI for tasks like paraphrasing or summarizing other peoples' work. AI algorithms do this without truly understanding the passages they're asked to summarize and rely instead on iteratively replacing words and rearranging text—a process known as "patch writing." Without true understanding of the original text, generative AI, like all patch writing, can introduce misinterpretations and other errors. ~ Illinois Tech

While this would certainly solve the problem of students using ChatGPT, such exercises can be very problematic for a range of students, such as those who need extra time to complete assignments or whose first language is not English. One thing that we have learned from the pandemic is that students are grateful to have moved away from timed, high-stakes assignments. ~ UMich

A wide array of AI detection tools exists; in fact, such tools are becoming ubiquitous. However, their accuracy varies considerably. The creators of many of these tools claim extremely high accuracy rates in spotting AI-generated content. It is not unusual to see claims of 98-99%+ accuracy. However, when evaluated by third parties, most of these tools also have a high rate of false positives. Even AI detectors with a great record in spotting AI generated content often flag human-written text as AI-generated. Many of the software companies involved refuse to offer a specific false positive rate for their products. False positives carry the risk of loss of student trust, confidence and motivation, bad publicity, and potential legal sanctions. ~ UMass

Yes, students may get falsely accused of cheating with AI. For example, a Texas A&M professor wrongly accused an entire class of using ChatGPT on final assignments after he copied and pasted their responses into ChatGTP and asked if it generated the answers. ChatGPT affirmed that it had written the responses. Sometimes it is obvious such as a clear cut and paste job such as answers that include, "I am just an AI language model, I don't have an opinion on that." But it can be difficult to tell whether a student has used an AI-powered chatbot dishonestly.