Faculty Response

Detection relies on faculty's ability to recognize automatically produced writing when a student turns it in. There is considerable work on ChatGPT-detecting tools, but at present, these are relatively easily defeated, while the task is already beyond human capability—in a recent test, medical researchers wrongly believed generated text was human a third of the time (and rejected human text as generated a seventh).

We currently recommend that faculty not count on third-party detection tools in classes. If you do use them, you should understand the current weaknesses. You should also make it clear to students that for students to learn from the class, they need to do their own writing. (As always, honor codes reduce, but do not completely eliminate, cheating.)

Sample statement for syllabus or class: 

Because writing is a form of thinking, you should not use ChatGPT or similar tools for drafting or editing written work. Doing so in this class is a violation of NYU’s Academic Integrity policy.

Avoidance requires assignments that are harder to complete using ChatGPT. There are a wide variety of techniques, including having students start work on writing assignments in class, asking that papers be written start to finish in a single Google doc (to provide faculty with access to the edit history), or asking for oral presentations instead of or in addition to written work. There is an interesting list of some possible techniques here; the TGT group is compiling more.

Sample statement for syllabus or class: 

It is important that the written work required by the course is yours. You should not use ChatGPT or other AI tools for any purpose other than idea generation. When you use any of these tools, you must include a note describing how you used them with the assignment.

Integration of AI tools involves giving students explicit permission to use the tool in a class, but in approved ways. Students could prompt AI tools to write an essay, then write a written response on the resulting text. Students can prompt AI tools for two essays on an issue, one pro and one con, then discuss the differences, and so on. There is an interesting list of some possible techniques here; the TGT group is compiling more.

Sample statement for syllabus or class: 

Use of ChatGPT and related tools is allowed in this class, but only in ways noted in the assignments. When you use any of these tools, you must include a note describing how you used them with the assignment.