'Writing Is Thinking': Do Students Who Use ChatGPT Learn Less?
"It was very clear that ChatGPT had decided this is a common woman's name," said Leitzinger, who teaches an undergraduate class on business and society at the University of Illinois in Chicago.
"They weren't even coming up with their own anecdotal stories about their own lives," she told AFP.
Leitzinger estimated that around half of her 180 students used ChatGPT inappropriately at some point last semester -- including when writing about the ethics of artificial intelligence (AI), which she called both "ironic" and "mind-boggling".
So she was not surprised by recent research which suggested that students who use ChatGPT to write essays engage in less critical thinking.
The preprint study, which has not been peer-reviewed, was shared widely online and clearly struck a chord with some frustrated educators.
The team of MIT researchers behind the paper have received more than 3,000 emails from teachers of all stripes since it was published online last month, lead author Nataliya Kosmyna told AFP.
'Soulless' AI Essays
For the small study, 54 adult students from the greater Boston area were split into three groups. One group used ChatGPT to write 20-minute essays, one used a search engine, and the final group had to make do with only their brains.
The researchers used EEG devices to measure the brain activity of the students, and two teachers marked the essays.
The ChatGPT users scored significantly worse than the brain-only group on all levels. The EEG showed that different areas of their brains connected to each other less often.
And more than 80 percent of the ChatGPT group could not quote anything from the essay they had just written, compared to around 10 percent of the other two groups.
By the third session, the ChatGPT group appeared to be mostly focused on copying and pasting.
The teachers said they could easily spot the "soulless" ChatGPT essays because they had good grammar and structure but lacked creativity, personality and insight.
However Kosmyna pushed back against media reports claiming the paper showed that using ChatGPT made people lazier or more stupid.
She pointed to the fourth session, when the brain-only group used ChatGPT to write their essay and displayed even higher levels of neural connectivity.
Kosmyna emphasised it was too early to draw conclusions from the study's small sample size but called for more research into how AI tools could be used more carefully to help learning.
Ashley Juavinett, a neuroscientist at the University of California San Diego who was not involved in the research, criticised some "offbase" headlines that wrongly extrapolated from the preprint.
"This paper does not contain enough evidence nor the methodological rigour to make any claims about the neural impact of using LLMs (large language models such as ChatGPT) on our brains," she told AFP.
Thinking Outside The Bot
Leitzinger said the research reflected how she had seen student essays change since ChatGPT was released in 2022, as both spelling errors and authentic insight became less common.
Sometimes students do not even change the font when they copy and paste from ChatGPT, she said.
But Leitzinger called for empathy for students, saying they can get confused when the use of AI is being encouraged by universities in some classes but is banned in others.
The usefulness of new AI tools is sometimes compared to the introduction of calculators, which required educators to change their ways.
But Leitzinger worried that students do not need to know anything about a subject before pasting their essay question into ChatGPT, skipping several important steps in the process of learning.
A student at a British university in his early 20s who wanted to remain anonymous told AFP he found ChatGPT was a useful tool for compiling lecture notes, searching the internet and generating ideas.
"I think that using ChatGPT to write your work for you is not right because it's not what you're supposed to be at university for," he said.
The problem goes beyond high school and university students.
Academic journals are struggling to cope with a massive influx of AI-generated scientific papers. Book publishing is also not immune, with one startup planning to pump out 8,000 AI-written books a year.
"Writing is thinking, thinking is writing, and when we eliminate that process, what does that mean for thinking?" Leitzinger asked.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
40 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Can we hack our way through the sizzle?: Mridula Ramesh writes on heat
Summer is over and floods are in the air. But still, let's talk about heat. Paris is on red alert, with the top of the Eiffel Tower shut to visitors this week, amid a heat wave that has seen temperatures reach 41 degrees haze, incidentally, is from light reflecting off clouds of dust carried by strong winds. (AFP) Why? Because while India's summer heatwaves may be over, the planet's heat continues to speak through many tongues. Let's start at the source. The Sun is made up largely of hydrogen, and a little helium. Deep in its core, where temperatures reach 15 million degrees Celsius and pressures are immense, hydrogen nuclei fuse into helium. This helium nucleus has slightly less mass than the four hydrogen nuclei that formed it, and the difference in mass is released as energy. In just one second, the sun releases enough energy to meet humanity's needs for 612,900 years. Only a fraction of that energy reaches the top of the atmosphere above Earth. Then, nearly a third of this energy is either absorbed by the ozone layer or reflected, by the clouds, by aerosols and by shiny surfaces (think deserts and ice sheets). A sliver (with enough energy to last us 4,400 years) reaches the planet's surface, which the planet, in turn, releases as heat. Some of this heat radiates back into space, but a lot of it is trapped by greenhouse gases and clouds. Importantly, the outgoing heat does not quite balance out the incoming solar energy, resulting in a planetary energy imbalance. The gold standard data for checking energy flows at the top of our atmosphere comes from CERES (Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System; a project by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA). Their instruments tell us that the energy imbalance has doubled, from 0.5 watt per square metre in the first decade of this millennium to 1.0 watt per square metre in 2013-22. And it's showing: 2024 was the hottest year on record, per NASA, beating 2023, which held the record before it. The planet is currently absorbing as much extra energy as if eight Hiroshima bombs were detonating on its surface every second. That's 'a lot. A lot, a lot', as Rosamund Pike's character puts it, in the 2014 movie Gone Girl. This is not a one-time thing, like the actual Hiroshima bomb was. No, we've been absorbing energy for decades, slowly, invisibly, day and night, everywhere. We are literally sitting in an oven, and ratcheting up the thermostat. Crowds throng a beach in Sale, Morocco, during a heatwave. (AFP) Eight Hiroshima bombs a second. Every second. For the past decade. Let that thought sink in on this pleasant Sunday morning. *** Perhaps we don't register this heating because the oceans have been shielding us by taking up about 90% of it. The rest goes into warming land and air, and melting ice. Periodically, during an El Nino, the ocean belches some of that heat, making the planet hotter, as in 2023. Meanwhile, data from disparate realms — ocean temperatures, ice extent, global air temperatures — all point to the same thing: rising invisible heat. The impacts run deeper than heat exhaustion for humans and rising wet-bulb temperatures. Crops wilt. Wheat, grown today in parts of India it was never suited to, suffers when March feels like May; the grains do not fill out, and shrivel instead. Other botanical immigrants from cooler climes, such as tomatoes, suffer. Monsoons grow fiercer, as warmer air holds more moisture, fuelling intense downpours. Hotter seas supercharge cyclones, battering coastal cities. Human productivity drops. India suffers. The planet suffers. *** This has been going on for a while. Between 1750 and 2019, global surface air temperatures rose by about 1.29 degrees Celsius. According to the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, heat trapped by carbon-dioxide (CO2) has driven about 1 degree Celsius of that warming, while other greenhouse gases have added 0.58 degrees Celsius. Offsetting this, the effect of land-use changes and aerosols — think pollution and their effect on clouds — have lowered temperatures by roughly 0.30 degrees Celsius. Given this breakdown, the overarching theme in climate action has been reducing CO2 levels by reducing fossil-fuel use. We have not done too well on that front. *** A rare "roll cloud", a huge horizontal bank, advances from the horizon towards the beaches of the Atlantic Ocean during a heatwave in southwestern Portugal, in June. (AFP) Meanwhile… Over the past decade, CERES data shows that incoming solar energy has not changed, the outgoing heat from Earth has risen a bit, but a lot more of the incoming solar radiation is being absorbed. Why? Simply put, the planet appears to be becoming less shiny. While there is a lot of uncertainty over what is causing this change, an early hypothesis is that shifts in cloud patterns could be at play. Clouds act as both umbrellas, by reflecting sunlight and cooling the planet, and as coats, by absorbing heat and warming the surface. The loss of low-level clouds above the ocean, the umbrellas, could have many causes, ranging from warmer oceans and higher greenhouse-gas levels to less sulphur in ship's exhausts and changes in ocean circulation. If cloud patterns are changing in response to warmer oceans, we can expect the heating to intensify. So, what can we do about it? We circle back to reduced carbon emissions. This is already happening in many places. My own textile factory, for instance, now runs largely on renewable energy, made possible by innovation and policies that have driven costs down. In homes, the LED revolution means we enjoy the same brightness at a fraction of the carbon footprint. Developed country emissions are falling, and India, which is still building much of its infrastructure, is seeing the carbon intensity of its economy falling too. But some, ignoring their own historical emissions, ask: 'When China and India are emitting so much, why should we tighten our belts?' India is not China, whose 2023 emissions were nearly four times that of India. But that nuance is missed by many reeling under the heat – temperatures in Spain touched 47 degrees Celsius last week — and clamouring for change. As a result, an idea once considered taboo in climate circles is gaining traction. A decade ago, a start-up purporting to sell cooling credits by injecting sulphur-dioxide particles into the atmosphere over Mexico would have been unthinkable. While the start-up did draw widespread criticism, within a year, the UK government set up its Advanced Research and Innovation Agency (ARIA), which this year began funnelling nearly £60 million into several real-world geoengineering experiments. Proponents of geoengineering support real-world trials because they say data from these are needed to shape global governance. But, going by recent events, 'global governance' may be an oxymoron. Sometimes I wonder what lies beneath the hubris of geoengineers. It's not as though the last human-wrought geoengineering experiments — largescale deforestation and rising greenhouse-gas emissions — have gone so well. And yet, they persist. One experiment involves brightening the clouds over the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Coral reefs, reeling under the combined onslaught of marine heatwaves and acidifying oceans, are the proverbial canary in the coal mine. So, some are trying to cool the reef by brightening clouds above it. But data from small-scale experiments can miss the bigger picture. For one thing, the mechanism of brightening clouds has some cooling and some warming effects, and the net effect is far from certain, as even proponents admit. Second, meaningful cooling may occur only when such efforts are scaled up, and there we run into a problem. Studies suggest that large-scale marine cloud-brightening efforts may impact ozone levels. Talk about borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. Another form of geoengineering involves mimicking volcanic eruptions. It is well-known that global temperatures fall after a giant volcano eruption. Indeed, Indonesia's great Mount Tambora explosion in 1815 saw temperatures dip below 0 degrees Celsius in Chennai. But such cooling has collateral damage, the most important, from India's point of view, being its effect on the monsoon. A recent study of 145 years of data found that medium and large tropical volcanic eruptions were followed by two years of poor monsoons, especially in El Nino periods. That is very bad news. The second casualty, multiple studies suggest, is the ozone layer. Now for the third casualty of such action. Innovation and policy that spur carbon action are possible only because there is a strong, consistent signal across governments and corporate leaders that such action is crucial to planet safety. If this signal is short-circuited or diluted, by geoengineering for example, innovation and entire industries will be cut down. Since these often do good things for the environment and human health, those will suffer as well. Indeed, there are already whispers that the climate-tech industry in the US is feeling the pinch. My sense is that some form of geoengineering will be pushed through. Given that the monsoon may be affected, India should get real about its water. There are thousands of waterbodies scattered across the length and breadth of Indian cities (hundreds in Delhi alone; have you visited the Anang Tal Baoli in Mehrauli?). Many are not in great shape. Rejuvenating them and greening the spaces around them would be highly effective in countering heat and making our cities climate-resilient. Whether or not we whiten the skies. (Mridula Ramesh is a climate-tech investor and author of The Climate Solution and Watershed. She can be reached on tradeoffs@
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Contractor fakes road construction using AI, dupes officials—viral video sparks outrage
Credit: Instagram What a world we're living in! Seriously, what a world! A viral video doing the rounds on social media has left netizens stunned; it claims that a contractor used AI tools, including ChatGPT, to trick authorities into approving payment for a road that was never built. This alleged scam has gone viral on Instagram and sparked fierce debates around professionalism, ethics, and privacy. It's a clear example of how technology can be misused and a reminder of the need for accountability among public officials. What is in the video? In the viral clip, the contractor is seen photographing a dusty, unpaved stretch of road. Instead of starting construction and improving the site, he reportedly uploaded the image into an AI-powered tool, allegedly following instructions from ChatGPT—to digitally transform the barren path into what looked like a well-paved, cemented road. The edited image featured convincing details such as proper lane markings, smooth paving, and roadside gutters. What shocked viewers even more was what happened next. According to the video, the contractor sent the AI-generated image via WhatsApp to a supervising government engineer. The video captures the engineer's apparent reaction, praising the fake road and instructing the contractor to send the bill, all without ordering a physical inspection of the site. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Brain tumor has left my son feeling miserable; please help! Donate For Health Donate Now Undo This isn't creativity; it's misuse. Most people on social media have voiced serious concerns about the video. Many pointed out that such abuse of AI could further fuel corruption, making it easier for fraudsters to siphon off public funds. Others demanded an immediate investigation by the concerned authorities. Several experts warn that whether the incident is real or staged, it highlights a growing concern: as AI tools become more advanced and accessible, the potential for digital fraud is skyrocketing. As of now, no official statement has been released to confirm the authenticity of the video. Still, the clip has certainly raised a red flag, showing how easily digital deception can creep into already vulnerable systems.
Economic Times
2 hours ago
- Economic Times
Foxconn second quarter revenue rises 15.82% on year
Taiwan's Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics maker, reported record second-quarter revenue on strong demand for artificial intelligence products but cautioned about geopolitical and exchange rate for Apple's biggest iPhone assembler jumped 15.82% year-on-year to T$1.797 trillion, Foxconn said in a statement on Saturday, beating the T$1.7896 trillion LSEG SmartEstimate, which gives greater weight to forecasts from analysts who are more consistently accurate. Robust AI demand led to strong revenue growth for its cloud and networking products division, said Foxconn, whose customers include AI chip firm Nvidia. Smart consumer electronics, which includes iPhones, posted 'flattish' year-on-year revenue growth affected by exchange rates, it revenue roses 10.09% on year to T$540.237 billion, a record high for that said it anticipates growth in this quarter from the previous three months and from the same period last year but cautioned about potential risks to growth."The impact of evolving global political and economic conditions and exchange rate changes will need continued close monitoring," it said without elaborating.U.S. President Donald Trump said he had signed letters to 12 countries outlining the various tariff levels they would face on goods they export to the United States, with the "take it or leave it" offers to be sent out on Chinese city of Zhengzhou is home to the world's largest iPhone manufacturing facility, operated by Foxconn. The company, formally called Hon Hai Precision Industry, does not provide numerical forecasts. It will report full second quarter earnings on August 14. Foxconn's shares jumped 76% last year, far outperforming the 28.5% rise for the Taiwan market, but are down 12.5% so far this year, reflecting broader pressure on tech stocks rattled by Trump's tumultuous trade policy. The stock closed down 1.83% on Friday ahead of the revenue data release, compared with a 0.73% drop for the benchmark index.
