Student passes university exam with ChatGPT-written essay

Since ChatGPT, [a ‘conversational’ chatbot that employs artificial intelligence to respond to questions as any human would] was introduced, internet users have been in a frenzy. A UK graduate has “passed” a university exam using it at a time when the technology has been discussed in educational institutions due to its effects.

According to UK media, the student namely Pieter Snepvangers reportedly utilised the chatbot to send a final year evaluation from the Russell Group university in the United Kingdom. He instructed the chatbot to compose a 2,000-word essay on social policy after getting the professor’s approval, a task the AI technology was able to execute in around 20 minutes. Pieter even received a score of 53 (a 2:2) for the essay.

“I found a (fairly) prestigious Russell Group university and asked one of its lecturers if I could take his final year social policy assessment to see if ChatGPT could really work. I wanted to know what mark I could get and whether or not he’d spot the essay was written by a bot,” Pieter was quoted as saying by The Tab news website.

From what I can gather, he wasn’t a student on that course. Also, I refuse to believe that’s his real name or picture.

— Levins Solicitors (@LevinsLaw) February 9, 2023

A really good read and insight. An end to the age of paying other students as ghostwriters, I’d guess https://t.co/q2P78iNY1a

— James Reynolds (@JimReynoldsUK) February 3, 2023

“This could be a student who has attended classes and has engaged with the topic of the unit. The content of the essay… this could be somebody that’s been in my classes. It wasn’t the most terrible in terms of content,” he was quoted as saying by The Independent. “You definitely can’t cheat your way to a first class degree, but you can cheat your way to a 2:2.”