The debate over whether AI programming used to write essays is an infringement on the notion of education itself continues.

This worry comes after computer scientist Nassim Dehouche published a piece that showed the power of GTP-3 to create academic writing that went unquestioned by plagiarism softwares. 

GTP-3 is the language model created by OpenAi, a research lab. Dehouce commented that he found the GTP-3 essay to be ‘indistinguishable from an excellent undergraduate essay, both in terms of soundness and originality.’ Aki Peritz, from Slate, further noted ‘with a little bit of practice, a student can use AI to write his or her paper in a fraction of the time that it would normally take’.

However, some figures in the education industry see less of an issue with AI essay writing and its capabilities. Digital Assessment specialist Professor Phillip Dawson from Deakin University says ‘I think we’ll actually be teaching students how to use these tools. I don’t think we’re going to necessarily forbid them.’

Dawson is supported by the growing usage of AI, particularly in the journalistic field. A survey from LSE from 2019 from 71 media organisation across 32 countries found that AI is already ‘significant part of journalism’. The survey found that AI is used for news gathering, news production and news distribution. 

Dr Helen Gniel from TEQSA, the independent regulator of Australian Higher Education, sees opportunities with the expansion of AI in an education context. She says it gives institutions the chance to ‘think about what they are teaching, and the most appropriate methods for assessing learning in that context’. 

She goes onto stress the importance of rules and regulations behind the AI’s deployment in education, that ‘We expect institutions to define their rules around the use of AI and ensure that expectations are clearly and regularly communicated to students.’.

In August of this year, TEQSA blocked some 40 websites linked with more traditional forms of cheating. This was focused on the sale of pre-written essays for students, with the sites being visited 450,000 times each month.

Dr Guy Curtis from the University of Western Australia found that those from a non-English speaking background are three-times more likely to buy these essays. He found that reasons for this included potential struggles with living costs and social isolation, with the difficulty of assessments in a language foreign to them.