UCC advises staff on use of ChatGPT over plagiarism fears

Staff members will also be shown how to redesign assessments in the context of artificial technologies

UCC has sent an email to staff, encouraging them to consider the ways the tool could be 'useful as well as problematic' in academic scenarios. Picture: Larry Cummins

Irish universities have begun issuing advice to staff on how to minimise the threat of plagiarism through the rising use of artificial technologies.

University College Cork sent an email to staff members pointing their attention to ChatGPT, encouraging them to consider the ways the tool could be "useful as well as problematic" in academic scenarios.

Launched in November, ChatGPT has rapidly increased in popularity with its conversational ability and capacity to write anything from songs to speeches and essays capturing widespread public attention.

Since its inception, ChatGPT has sparked debates across universities, the tech sector, and the media world, igniting fears that its rise could have a detrimental impact on jobs, content creation, and academic integrity. 

In an email to staff, seen by the Irish Examiner, UCC said it will also begin workshops for staff members teaching them how to design or redesign student assessments in the context of ChatGPT, focusing on "striking a balance" between ways it can enhance teaching and preventing misuse.

"We believe that assessment design and ongoing education on academic integrity and conduct, are key to responding to this new development," the email states.

It adds that as a member of the National Academic integrity Network, UCC was participating in sectoral discussions on the issue of ChatGPT and artificial intelligence.

Trinity College Dublin has also contacted staff regarding the AI tool, advising them on ways to minimise its threat and adjust assessments accordingly.

In simple terms, ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence-powered text generator which responds to questions, prompts and conversation starters from users.

Built by US firm, OpenAI, the tool is trained on a large quantity of text data that has allowed it to simulate realistic human conversations.

Last week, the AI bot broke the record for the fastest-growing user base on the internet, gaining 100 million monthly users in January, just a month after it was initially launched.

The evolution of AI text generators has also sparked a race between Google and Microsoft search engines, both of which hope to add AI tools to maximise search capability. Microsoft said it would invest $10bn into ChatGPT's owners, with Google's parent company, Alphabet also signalling AI technologies as a key investment area.

While Irish universities have taken a more liberal approach to ChatGPT, colleges across the US, France and Australia have already banned the AI text generator, however, media companies such as Buzzfeed have embraced the new technology, announcing that it would use ChatGPT to generate content across its sites. 

With numerous conversations surrounding ChatGPT and what this advanced AI tool holds for the future, what is this new sensation and what can people expect from it?

What is ChatGPT?

In simple terms, ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence-powered text generator which responds to questions, prompts and conversation starters from users.

Built by US firm, OpenAI, the tool is trained on a large quantity of text data that has allowed it to simulate realistic human conversations.

How does ChatGPT work?

ChatGPT is found on OpenAI's website. In its own words, ChatGPT works by users sending it "text-based queries or prompts" where it will "generate a response based on the input it was trained on."

"Simply type in a question or statement and hit send, and ChatGPT will generate a relevant response."

Will ChatGPT lead to plagiarism?

Despite numerous accounts of ChatGPT being used by university students in assessments, OpenAI has not specifically stated how they aim to prevent people from using ChatGPT to plagiarise.

This uncertainty has led to universities taking matters into their own hands, with some banning them outright while others aim to incorporate it into academic life, taking into account its benefits and threats.

However, renewed criticisms of the tool have prompted ChatGPT makers to create AI Text Classifier, a new tool that predicts how likely it is that a piece of text was generated by AI. 

While it has its limitations, teachers and college lecturers can submit assessments to the AI detector, which will subsequently determine whether the text was AI-generated or written by a human.

Will ChatGPT lead to job layoffs?

There has been much debate surrounding the future of jobs due to the rise of AI tools, with content creation, customer service, finance and data analysis considered to be the most at risk sectors due to ChatGPT's key capabilities.

The impact ChatGPT will have on the wider jobs markets remains widely unknown, but in its own words:

"It's important to note that the impact of AI on the job market is a complex and nuanced issue, and many factors, such as government policies and job market trends, can affect the extent to which AI technologies will displace human labor. 

"Overall, it is likely that AI will continue to have a significant impact on the job market, but it will also create new job opportunities in areas such as AI development, deployment, and maintenance."