Chatbot creates university essay 'that would pass' in two minutes as cheating epidemic exposed
dailyrecord.co.ukLecturers have warned that ”chatbot” platforms can churn out passable university essays in just two minutes – and the Daily Record’s tested the theory to prove the case.Our investigation yesterday revealed how cheating has risen by 1000 per cent in five years at some Scottish universities.Senior academics have warned an “arms race” is being waged against chatbot and other internet plagiarists who are threatening to undermine Scotland’s respected further education institutions.The artificial intelligence is believed to be wiping the floor with top universities, despite a host of working groups and anti-cheat processes being activated.The Daily Record yesterday told how cheating is so rife via essay mills - and platforms like ChatGPT being abused - that courses are being reconstructed.We cobbled together a politics essay in under two minutes on the controversial software, which processes internet search returns into presentable academic formats.And two experts agreed that the essay - on the success or failure of Nicola Sturgeon as First Minister of Scotland - could easily be a pass.Alarmingly, the experts said that the type of cheating that ChatGPT can produce is the kind that can be retro-fitted with cast iron references - often making it impossible to detect.Our essay was constructed by asking ChatGPT three quick-fire questions relating to the FM’s successes and failures and a summary of her time in power.We simply stitched the three parts together and sent the hastily completed work to our experts for appraisal.One academic at a university in Glasgow said the rise of AI may well see a return to traditional exams, which have been discredited in recent years.They said: “With this essay, the text (with insertion of
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