Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

ChatGPT: Cardiff students admit using AI on essays

ChatGPT: Cardiff students admit using AI on essays

University students have confessed to writing essays with the help of ChatGPT's artificial intelligence program.

Cardiff University students said they had received first class grades for essays written using the AI chatbot.

ChatGPT is an AI program capable of producing human-like responses and academic pieces of work.

Cardiff University said it was reviewing its policies and would issue new university-wide guidance shortly.

Tom, not his real name, is one of the students who conducted his own experiment using ChatGPT.

Tom, who averages a 2.1 grade, submitted two 2,500 essays in January, one with the help of the chatbot and one without.

For the essay he wrote with the help of AI, Tom received a first - the highest mark he has ever had at university.

In comparison, he received a low 2.1 on the essay he wrote without the software.

"I didn't copy everything word for word, but I would prompt it with questions that gave me access to information much quicker than usual," said Tom.

He also admitted that he would most likely continue to use ChatGPT for the planning and framing of his essays.

A recent Freedom of Information request to Cardiff University revealed that during the January 2023 assessment period, there were 14,443 visits to the ChatGPT site on the university's own wi-fi networks.

One month before, there were zero recorded visits.

OpenAI launched ChatGPT last November


Despite the increase in visits during January's assessment period, the university believes there is nothing to suggest that the visits were for illegitimate purposes.

"Most visits have been identified as coming from our research network - our School of Computer Science and Informatics, for example, has an academic interest in the research and teaching of artificial intelligence," said Cardiff University.

John, not his real name, is another student at the university who admitted using the software to help him with assignments.

"I've used it quite a few times since December. I think I've used it at least a little bit for every assessment I've had," he said.

"It's basically just become part of my work process, and will probably continue to be until I can't access it anymore.

"When I first started using it, I asked it to write stuff like 'compare this niche theory with this other niche theory in an academic way' and it just aced it."

Although ChatGPT does not insert references, John said he had no issue filling those in himself.

"I've also used it to summarise concepts from my course that I don't think the lecturers have been great at explaining," he said.

"It's a really good tool for cutting out the waffle that some lecturers go into for theories which you don't actually need to talk about in essays.

"It probably cuts about 20% of the effort I would need to put into an essay."

Both students said they do not use ChatGPT to write their essays, but to generate content they can tweak and adapt themselves.

As for being caught, John is certain that the AI influence in his work is undetectable.

"I see no way that anyone could distinguish between work completely my own and work which was aided by AI," he said.

However, John is concerned about being caught in the future. He said if transcripts of his communication with the AI network were ever found, he fears his degree could be taken away from him.

"I'm glad I used it when I did, in the final year of my degree, because I feel like a big change is coming to universities when it comes to coursework because it's way too easy to cheat with the help of AI," he said.

"I like to think that I've avoided this, whilst reaping the benefits of GPT in my most important year."

Cardiff University said it took allegations of academic misconduct, including plagiarism, "extremely seriously".

"Although not specifically referenced, the improper use of AI would be covered by our existing academic integrity policy," a spokesman said.

"We are aware of the potential impact of AI programmes, like ChatGPT, on our assessments and coursework.

"Maintaining academic integrity is our main priority and we actively discourage any student from academic misconduct in its many forms."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
×