Professor Gives Every Student A Perfect Score On Final Paper After Discovering They Used AI
A professor had an unusually honest reaction to learning that his students had used AI to write their final papers. An unnamed student shared the notice that was sent out to their entire college class about the grades they’d gotten on one of their final assignment from the semester.
Shared to the subreddit “r/mildlyinfuriating,” the student admitted that they’d spend three entire weeks preparing and working on their final paper, yet because of the actions of their fellow students, all of that hard work went completely down the drain. But their professor’s decision might’ve been the most unconventional part.
A professor gave every student a perfect score on their final paper after discovering they used AI.
Drazen Zigic | Shutterstock
“I want to take a moment to speak candidly with all of you,” the professor wrote in an announcement to his class. “Over the past week, I have been reading your final papers, I have noticed a level of AI-generated writing that has left me deeply disappointed. Many of the submissions are so heavily AI-infused that they no longer reflect your voices, your thinking, or the skills the course is designed to build.”
The professor expressed his disappointment that his students would cheat themselves out of the good that comes from learning without depending on technology, especially AI. He emphasized the fact that his students were really just harming themselves, which wasn’t being said out of anger but rather from a place of deep frustration and sadness.
As a result of the excessive use of AI by his students, he decided to do something that might be considered a bit peculiar. Rather than failing everyone, he chose to give them all a perfect score on their final paper.
The professor pointed out that this was not a reward but rather a warning.
“I hate, absolutely hate, how AI has forced me to turn into a punitive detective, rather than, well, a teacher. I reject that completely. My goal is, and has always been, your learning,” he continued.
On top of giving all his students perfect scores, he also canceled their last assignment. He insisted that this wasn’t a reward at all, but rather a stark warning because if they continued to turn in AI-written work, they would only end up graduating in their area of interest with no actual knowledge to support themselves in their careers.
“I sincerely hope you reflect on the choices you made in this course and how they align with what you want for yourselves,” he added. “You deserve more than to let a machine do your thinking.”
The issue of college students using AI to complete their coursework is a growing problem.
Yta23 | Shutterstock
A global survey from the Digital Education Council found that 86% of students use AI in their studies, with 54% using it weekly and nearly one in four using it daily. This statistic is also mirrored in other studies, including a Chegg survey of 11,706 undergraduate students across 15 countries, which found that 80% of students worldwide have used generative AI complete coursework.
Students have been found to use a variety of AI tools, including ChatGPT, and so-called “cheating companies are popping up everywhere in an effort to cash in on the trend. They’re using these tools for an array of things, including searching for information, checking grammar, summarizing documents, creating their first drafts, explaining course concepts, and suggesting research ideas.
While artificial intelligence isn’t going anywhere, there needs to be a balance between education and application. What’s the point of taking a class if you aren’t actually learning the material? At the same time, it’s important to know how to use AI as a tool to improve your work. It takes time to find that balance, however, and right now we are in the “use it for everything” camp.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
Comments are closed.