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Australian Universities Take Action Against AI-Generated Essays

Australian universities have recently had to change the way they assess students' work due to the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) software which enables students to generate essays. It has been noted that some students have already been caught using such software.

Group of Eight Plans

To address this issue, the leading research-intensive universities in Australia, known as the Group of Eight, have introduced new rules which state that the use of AI is considered cheating. Moreover, the Group of Eight has put in place a plan to fight AI which includes informing students about it, training staff, making changes to the assessment methods, and employing technological and other detection strategies.

University of Sydney Updates Policies

The University of Sydney has recently updated its academic integrity policy to include the use of AI software in its list of cheating behaviors. The institution has also stated that it is redesigning its assessments and improving its detection methods in preparation for the introduction of AI.

ANU Changes Assessment Methods

The Australian National University has taken a different approach to the problem by imposing laboratory activities, fieldwork and oral presentations instead of the traditional exams used for the majority of its units. Moreover, those units which do need exams will take place in supervised environments, will primarily involve pen and paper tests, and will focus on topics where cheating is less likely to take place.

Crises Facing Teachers

Toby Walsh, Scientia Professor of Artificial Intelligence at the University of New South Wales, believes that teachers are currently in a "crisis" as they contemplate how exams will be marked in the upcoming year and how they will deal with any potential cases of plagiarism. He has noted that AI technology is already being used by some students to submit essays to universities.

Professor Walsh also points out the fact that the issue of AI cheating is not likely to be solved by banning the use of its platforms because of the availability of VPN and other tools. He believes that the education sector should make use of digital watermarking and other technological solutions to combat AI cheating, as it may be impossible to completely eliminate its use.

Moreover, Professor Walsh has also stressed the potential for AI technology to help students learn. He believes that AI technology can be used to mark student essays and give feedback which teachers may not have the time or the energy to provide.

Flinders and UNSW Embrace AI

Flinders University is one of the first universities in Australia to put in place a specific policy against AI-generated essays. Its Deputy Vice Chancellor, Professor Romy Lawson, is aware of the difficulties presented by emerging technology, and expresses her wish to use digital tools to help students learn, rather than banning them from using AI.

The University of New South Wales echoed this sentiment, noting that students can benefit from the use of AI technology, but that it should not be used to undermine academic integrity.

It is clear that Australian universities are taking this issue seriously and are actively taking steps to ensure that students receive a fair and honest assessment of their work. With the potential of AI technology to both help and hinder students, it is important that universities stay up to date with the latest developments so as to guarantee the quality of academic work.