ChatGPT is Writing College Essays

ChatGPT is Writing College Essays

by Dr Ben Miles

Humanities, Social Sciences & Thought AI — Models & Research UYQArtificial intelligence (AI)UYQFGenerative artificial intelligence
🎙 Dr Ben Miles 👥 2.5M 📅 February 11, 2023 ⏱ 12 min 👁 8K 📄 expert opinion 🧭 2026-08-23
Available in: English (current) Français

Keywords

ChatGPTcheatingeducationAITuring test

Summary

In this video, Dr Ben Miles, a university lecturer, explores the phenomenon of students using ChatGPT to cheat on essays. He begins by recounting the history of AI from Turing’s early work to the release of ChatGPT in November 2022. He notes that ChatGPT can pass exams like the US medical licensing exam, and that students are increasingly using it. To test its capabilities, he conducts a simple experiment where he asks a student and ChatGPT to explain wave-particle duality, and he attempts to identify which is which. He correctly guesses the AI-generated text. He discusses potential countermeasures such as AI detection tools and watermarking, but also suggests that ChatGPT could be used as a learning tool, similar to a calculator. He mentions that some universities are integrating it into their curriculum. The video includes a sponsored segment about a carbon offsetting service. He concludes by reflecting on the broader implications of AI for society, emphasizing the need for responsible use.

161 words

Critical Evaluation

Value of the Information & Strength of the Argument

The video provides a personal and accessible perspective on the issue of AI in education. The argumentation is based on the author’s experience as a lecturer and his informal experiment, which adds a practical dimension. However, the evidence is largely anecdotal, and the video does not delve deeply into the broader research on AI’s impact on education. The discussion of countermeasures is brief and lacks critical analysis of their effectiveness.

Scientific Rigor, Source Quality, Title Accuracy

The video references a few sources, such as the US medical licensing exam study and the development of AI detection tools, but does not provide specific citations. The title accurately reflects the content, which is focused on ChatGPT’s role in academic cheating. The video is more of an opinion piece than a rigorous scientific analysis, and the lack of detailed sourcing limits its scientific rigor.

150 words

Title / Content Match

The title accurately reflects the content, which focuses on ChatGPT's use in academic settings and the associated challenges.

Quality & Reliability

6/10

The video presents a balanced expert perspective on ChatGPT's impact on education, combining personal anecdotes, a simple experiment, and references to known events. However, it lacks rigorous sourcing and relies heavily on anecdotal evidence.

Chapters

Cited Sources

  • Dr Ben Miles Newsletter — Mentioned as a way to stay updated on the creator's work.
  • Dr Ben Miles LinkedIn — Provided as a link to the creator's professional profile.
  • Wren (sponsor) — Sponsor of the video, promoting carbon offsetting projects.

Concurring Sources

  • ChatGPT can pass medical licensing exam — The video mentions a study showing ChatGPT passing the USMLE, which is a known event.

Contribution & Novelties

The video offers a personal and practical perspective on the use of ChatGPT in education, including a simple experiment to test AI-generated text. It highlights the challenges and potential solutions, but does not present new research or data. The discussion of using AI as a learning tool is a notable viewpoint.

Pour aller plus loin :

  • Turing test — The foundational concept for evaluating machine intelligence, relevant to the video’s discussion of AI capabilities.
  • GPT-3 — The underlying model for ChatGPT, providing context on the technology’s capabilities and limitations.
  • AI detection tools — Tools like GPTZero that aim to identify AI-generated text, relevant to the video’s discussion of countermeasures.

109 words

Radar Profile

The radar profile shows moderate scores across all dimensions, indicating a balanced but not deeply rigorous video. The highest score is in information quantity, while technical depth is lower, reflecting the video's accessible approach.

Reliability 5/10

💬 No comments were provided for analysis.