Ways to spot a bot wrote student’s essay
LAZY students beware – words with multiple syllables, repetition and the frequent use of commas after the word “and” are just some of the tell-tale signs an essay has been written using AI.
It follows the popularity of cheap and easy computer tools to get around the grind of churning out academic course work.
Which is why Cambridge University researchers decided to compare two ChatGPT-assisted essays to 164 written by genuine GCSE students to spot tell-tale clues. Researchers found that while ChatGPT-assisted essays performed strongly on information and reflection compared to the others, they performed poorly on analysis and comparison.
ChatGPT’s default writing style “echoes the bland, clipped and objective style that characterises much generic journalistic writing found on the internet,” said the study. Other giveaways include the use of a multi-syllable, sophisticated vocabulary above the level students are expected to be at, as well as paragraphs starting with words such as “however”, “moreover” and “overall”, followed by a comma.
Tautology – saying the same thing twice using different words – and the repetition of words or phrases are also massive signs that something has been written using AI. Lead researcher Jude Brady, of Cambridge University Press & Assessment, said: “Despite the small sample size, we are excited about these findings as they have the capacity to inform the work of teachers as well as students.
“We hope our research might help people to identify when a piece of text has been written by ChatGPT.
“For students and the wider population, learning to use and detect generative AI forms is increasingly important.”