According to a recent report titled “Back to School,” many young people are using artificial intelligence (AI) to cheat in their school assignments. The report, which surveyed approximately 1,000 respondents aged 15-24, revealed that 54 percent of them admitted to using AI in a way they believed was not allowed. However, the boundaries of what constitutes cheating with AI are unclear.

Ulrik Hoffman, CEO of the Youth Barometer, expressed surprise at the high percentage of young people using AI to cheat. He noted that the lack of knowledge about rules regarding the use of AI in schools might contribute to this behavior. Additionally, Hoffman emphasized that AI has a wide range of uses beyond cheating, such as cooking tips, fitness advice, poetry writing, and photo editing.

The report also found that 40 percent of students were unsure if there were specific rules regarding AI use in their schools, while 33 percent believed such rules existed, and 27 percent said their schools had no AI rules. This lack of clarity poses challenges for schools as they grapple with defining what is allowed and what is not.

Peter Karlberg, education advisor at the Swedish National Agency for Education, suggested that instead of rigid rules, teachers should review their working methods to address the use of AI. Hoffman supported this idea, stating that drawing the line between AI cheating and legitimate use is difficult, especially considering how AI is integrated into various aspects of young people’s lives.

The debate surrounding AI cheating also reflects generational differences in attitudes. While using a mobile phone to ask for answers during a test is clearly considered cheating, the line becomes blurred when it comes to using AI tools for homework assignments. For example, Hoffman questioned whether using Word’s spell checker or asking Chat GPT, an AI-powered text generation tool, to improve text is cheating.

To address these challenges, Hoffman called for schools to develop AI policies in collaboration with students. He acknowledged that creating a national AI policy for school use that is relevant for the next decade might be challenging, but it is essential to adapt to the evolving technology.

The report highlighted the use of Chat GPT, an AI text generation robot developed by Open AI. Chat GPT can generate text, answer follow-up questions, and even correct itself. Open AI, founded in 2015, aims to build AI that benefits humanity. They are currently working on the fourth version of their service, set to launch in 2023 and expected to have even more advanced capabilities.

In conclusion, the widespread use of AI in schools raises important questions about the boundaries between cheating and legitimate use. Schools and students must navigate these complexities and develop AI policies that align with ethical considerations and technological advancements.

Sources: Youth Barometer, Swedish National Agency for Education

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