Latest news with #NanyangTechnologicalUniversity
Malay Mail
9 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Singapore's NTU assembles panel after students penalised over AI use, one of them merely for alphabetising citations with online tool
SINGAPORE, June 26 — Nanyang Technological University (NTU) will convene an appeal review panel including artificial intelligence (AI) experts after a student was accused of academic fraud for allegedly using generative AI tools. CNA reported that NTU allows students to use AI in assignments but requires them to declare usage, ensure accuracy, and cite sources. 'NTU remains committed to our goal of equipping students with the knowledge and skills to use AI technologies productively, ethically and critically,' a spokesman was quoted saying. The university said it had met two of the three students involved to assess the grounds for appeal, though no decisions were made during the consultations. One student's appeal was accepted for review, while another's was rejected. The student whose appeal was processed had earlier shared on Reddit that she was accused of misusing AI after submitting an essay for a module on health and disease politics. An assistant professor questioned whether AI tools were used, prompting the student to submit a time-lapse video of her writing process using the Draftback browser extension. However, she was penalised for using Study Crumb, an AI-powered site, to alphabetise her citations, receiving a zero for the assignment and a 'D' for the module. The student paid S$40 (RM139) to appeal and later demonstrated her writing process and use of the citation tool during a two-hour consultation with a faculty panel. A panel member reportedly agreed the tool was not considered generative AI and assured her that the misconduct would not appear on her permanent record. Two other students from the same class also received zeros, including one who used Citation Machine and ChatGPT to organise citations and conduct limited background research. She said her appeal was rejected after a panel found she violated explicit instructions banning AI tools. NTU said the student had previously admitted to using generative AI in her assignment and noted that instructors may prohibit AI use for certain tasks. A briefing slide for the class stated that AI use in developing essays was prohibited, with zero marks imposed for violations. The third student was penalised for allegedly using fake citations and initially faced a 10-mark deduction, which was later escalated to a zero. He accepted the decision and chose not to contest it further, saying he prioritised passing as he had already secured a job but feared the incident could harm his reputation.
Straits Times
14 hours ago
- Business
- Straits Times
First gen farmers: Why they choose to grow a career in farming
First gen farmers: Why they choose to grow a career in farming Mr Leonard Teo developed a love for greens as a boy, but often found locally bought vegetables harsh on his palate. 'They had a bitter taste, and my mother ended up buying expensive organic vegetables for me,' said the owner of Straits Agriculture, a five-year-old aeroponics and hydroponics farm in Jurong that produces xiao bai cai, nai bai, curly kale and mizuna, among others. Mr Teo also grows rosemary at his farm. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI 'I thought, why not try to grow fresh and sweet-tasting vegetables so that I can eat them and Singaporeans can also purchase them at an affordable price?' The Nanyang Technological University graduate's dream took off in 2020, when he rented a 35 sq m plot of land for about $20,000 in Henderson to start his venture . After stabilising his operations, he later invested in a rooftop farm in Jurong that cost him $250,000 to set up in January 2022 . While the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) does not track the number of first-time farmers in the country, Mr Teo, 25, is one of the three young farmers who ventured into the agricultural sector during Covid-19. Mr Teo , who entered university the same year, struggled to balance school and work. Mr Teo takes home a mid three-digit salary each month from running the farm. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI 'There was no juggling. I woke up at 8am, went to class till 6pm and headed to my farm to work till about 3am. It was either do or die,' said Mr Teo, who graduated in 2025 with a degree in aerospace engineering. Mr Teo's mother, Ms Eileen Tan , who helps deliver the vegetables to his customers, said she feels bad that he has to work so hard, but is glad that this venture has built his character. 'I'm pretty proud of what he has accomplished so far,' she said. A desire to contribute Two other first-time farmers also ventured into the trade after witnessing the impact of Covid-19 on food security in Singapore, which imports more than 90 per cent of its food. While the country's key strategy is to diversify its sources, then Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing said in a written parliamentary reply in April 2020 that the pandemic had 'severely diminished global production capacities and disrupted global supply chains' . This prompted Mr John Ong, founder of Spore Gardens , a farm that produces mushrooms in a 130 sq m office space in Whampoa , to make the switch from aerospace engineering to farming. Mr Ong grows a variety of mushrooms in his farm, including the Lion's Mane, Royal Trumpet, Golden Oak Shitake, Sakura Pink Oyster, Golden Yellow Oyster and Yanagi Matsutake. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG 'Many people were panic buying during the pandemic, and while doing my own shopping, I noticed that there was a shortage of fresh produce at the supermarkets, and later realised that Singapore may have a supply chain issue in this area,' he said. After some research, the 40-year-old , who described himself as an 'accidental' farmer, opted to focus on producing mushrooms, which he felt was overlooked. He started to grow Lion's Mane mushrooms at home before investing $100,000 to kick-start the business officially. Five years on, the father of two young children, aged three and six , said he was grateful that his wife, a dermatologist , supported him making the switch then. Mr Ong , who grows six or seven types of mushrooms at his farm, supplies about 1,000kg of mushrooms to restaurants and caterers each month . He is in the midst of moving to a new 380 sq m farm in Changi , which is about three times larger than his original space. The entrepreneur, who now runs the farm with his partner, Mr Fred Soh, said sales have been doing well and the company broke even early in 2025. Mr John Ong met his business partner, Mr Fred Soh, about eight months after he founded Spore Gardens. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG Another farmer whose business appears to have taken off is M r Webster Tham, 34, from Tomato Town, a business that grows tomatoes, kale and basil. Mr Tham , who runs the farms with two other partners , said the trio started by managing a 75 sq m plot. This has grown to a 6,000 sq m plot in the last five years . Their produce can be found in 70 FairPrice outlets, where they are priced between $4 and $4.50 per packet . One of Mr Tham's farms is located at a rooftop carpark in Jurong West. The Straits Times A spokesperson for FairPrice said it has observed a significant increase in demand for Tomato Town's products across its stores over the last six months, compared with the same period in 2024. Mr Tham hopes his experience can encourage young people not to shy away from the industry. 'Farming is still hard work, but technology is there to reduce some of the laborious tasks traditional farmers have to take on. We hope young people give it a chance,' he said. Fresh perspectives Despite the efforts of new entrants, local production remains at less than 10 per cent of the country's total food consumption. While these farms remain small in scale, their true contribution lies in the innovations they bring to the agri-food sector, said research scientist Teo Shaun Hao . 'By developing and testing new farming methods, technologies, and crop varieties suited for urban environments, they help push the boundaries of what is possible in land-scarce Singapore,' said Mr Teo, who works at the Agriculture Research and Innovation Centre at Republic Polytechnic . Young farmers' savviness in leveraging social media platforms also helps them to connect directly with consumers, allowing them to build trust and promote their products more effectively, he added. However, Professor Veera Sekaran from the National University of Singapore's Department of Biological Sciences remained cautious about the value of those skills. 'No amount of social media is going to help the farmers if they do not understand the industry and the reality of the business of growing crops and bringing them to the marketplace to make profits,' said the director of Regenerative Agritech Centre . Challenges remain Since 2019, Singapore has aspired to produce 30 per cent of its nutritional needs locally by 2030, but it was revealed in Parliament in March that the target is being reviewed. In 2024, 3 per cent of vegetables consumed were grown locally, down from 3.2 per cent in 2023, according to the Singapore Food Statistics report. In the same year, there were 153 farms on land – most of which grew vegetables – down from 156 the year before. In an interview with The Straits Times in May, SFA chief executive Damian Chan said the drop in local production of vegetables is due to factors like higher operating costs, especially energy costs, a weaker investment climate in high-tech farming and farms facing challenges in securing sales. He added that local produce typically costs more than imported ones, and shoppers tend to opt for more affordable leafy greens and fish, affecting demand. Besides the challenges highlighted by SFA, the farmers hope the authorities can also look into reducing the administrative barriers that impede others' entry into the industry. Mr Teo from Straits Agriculture proposed a one-stop service portal to be set up for farmers to submit their applications for various licences, a sentiment echoed by Mr Ong. 'This will allow us to focus on the operations of the farm,' he said. While SFA did not say if it is considering setting up a one-stop service portal, it has put in place other measures, includein g customising solutions via its Technical Advisory Programme and developing industry guides to help farmers understand how to set up land-based and sea-based farms. Farmers can also tap the GoBusiness portal to apply for grants and additional licences to sell or process their produce, such as by turning them into salads or fish fillets, added SFA. What keeps them going Despite the challenges, the farmers said they are buoyed by the support they receive from their families and customers. 'When chefs tell me that the items we provide are some of the best mushrooms they've used, that really puts a smile on my face,' said Mr Ong. Sakura Pink Oyster mushrooms, which have a subtly woody taste with a hint of seafood and a peppery finish, are one type of mushrooms Mr Ong supplies to restaurants. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG Mr Teo, who is funded by a European investor and earns a mid four-figure sum for the farm each month, shared similar views. One of his long-time customers, who has been buying his vegetables since her family discovered his farm in 2022, even sent her teenage daughter to his farm to experience what it is like to run a farm, a gesture that he appreciated. For Mr Tham, it was his father Ray Tham's gesture of love that kept him thriving. Mr Tham's father, Mr Ray Tham, helps his son maintain his farms. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY 'He touched me by deciding to take up a diploma in agriculture at RP to help me out at the farm,' he said. The older Mr Tham, who initially doubted his son's venture, later decided to support him by assisting with maintenance work at the farms. An engineer by training, the 67-year-old manager of the farms is happy to see his son's business take off. 'It is not very successful yet, but I'm proud to see some success,' he said. Next steps Having solved his initial hurdles, Mr Tham hopes to increase his production by maximising the growth of his plants. 'We're looking into ways to develop a suitable temperature that will 'trick' our plants into thinking that they are in a cooler climate in order to boost growth,' he said, adding that his farms currently produce 3 tonnes of leafy greens monthly. Mr Tham grows kale, basil and tomatoes at his farms. The Straits Times Similarly, Mr Ong looks to expand the variety of mushrooms in his new farm and eventually supply them to wet markets and supermarkets. Mr Ong (left) and Ms Audrey Chong, head of marketing of Spore Gardens, travel to different farmers' markets around Singapore to sell their produce. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG For Mr Teo, he is considering moving his farm out of Singapore to places that are more cost- and infrastructure-friendly to continue with his business once his lease is up in 2028. 'But before that, I hope to be able to work with the authorities to reduce the amount of admin work that our farmers need to do and focus on increasing our yield to be effective in contributing to our country's food security situation.' Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- South China Morning Post
Do universities need a rethink on AI use for students? Singapore's NTU case causes a stir
A case at Singapore 's Nanyang Technological University (NTU) involving three students accused of academic misconduct over the use of generative AI (Gen AI) has prompted observers to question if tertiary institutions need clearer processes to deal with disputes. The students were told by their teacher in a briefing for a module on health, disease outbreaks and politics at the School of Social Sciences that the use of ChatGPT and AI tools was not allowed in the 'development or generation' of their essay proposal and long essay, according to pictures of the slide that were published online. One student's appeal was being processed before a review panel that would include AI experts, while the other two scored zero for the assignment, local media reported. The students used online tools to organise their citations. The two who have been punished used ChatGPT in their research but said they did not use it to write their essays, according to local media outlet CNA. Fong Wei Li, a lawyer at Forward Legal who specialises in internet and social media law, told This Week in Asia that the saga showed the gaps in processes among universities in dealing with such disputes between teachers and students. 'Most universities acknowledge that Gen AI is part of our lives, but what universities don't go further in doing is consistent framework about processes for grievances; if a faculty accuses a student of using Gen AI and the student disputes it,' Fong said. 'There has not been a critical mass for these kinds of disputes, but do we want to wait for something to happen like it did at NTU before there is a process if a student disputes?'
Business Times
a day ago
- Business
- Business Times
Why Singapore's fresh grads are struggling to get hired
[SINGAPORE] It is the year 2017, and the tech sector is booming. With Industry 4.0 in full swing and FAANG stocks on the rise, pursuing data science and analytics seemed a safe bet for career security. That was the logic for Koh Long Yang, a self-described math lover who was deciding what to study before entering national service. His reasoning was simple: every company needs data, and someone to make sense of it. Fast forward to 2024 with graduation in sight, and the reality of his job prospects began to sink in. He tells The Business Times he started sending out resumes in February 2024 – about five months before graduating from the National University of Singapore – and stopped counting when he hit 95. In total, he estimates having sent out about 150 applications. Koh Long Yang (right) graduated from the National University of Singapore in July 2024. PHOTO: KOH LONG YANG 'At that point, you're living in times of uncertainty because every morning you wake up, you just check your e-mail – is there anything? Nothing. Then you go back to LinkedIn, JobsDB, every job website that you can find; you just go and try,' he says. Still jobless months after graduation and increasingly desperate, he leapt at the opportunity to intern at a startup through a contact he met through reservist duty. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Koh's frustrating experience with landing a full-time job seems increasingly common among recent graduates who shared their stories with BT. Also from the class of 2024, communications graduate Timotheus Yeo from Nanyang Technological University has a similar tale. Despite a portfolio that included internships and freelance work, he found himself pivoting from film production to marketing in search of better job prospects. He sent out over a hundred applications, enrolled in online courses to upskill, and still heard little back. 'I did not expect the market to be so bad,' he tells BT. 'I came in thinking: 'Oh, if I just apply to a few jobs, I definitely will get replies, I definitely will get interviews.'' Timotheus Yeo graduated from Nanyang Technological University in July 2024. PHOTO: TIMOTHEUS YEO He adds that others' experiences shared on online forums and TikTok show he is not alone. 'I see people actually apply way more than me, like 300, and people in the comments are saying: 'Oh, I applied to like 50 jobs a day, and I still get no reply.' That is actually so insane,' Yeo says. It was disheartening, he says, despite his career coach's reassurance that even a 10 per cent interview rate was 'very good'. It was a chance meeting with a college senior that gave him an opening into travel platform Klook, where he has just started work in social media marketing. With such stories becoming prevalent, there's little doubt that it is a tough time to be a fresh graduate. From shifting employer preferences and artificial intelligence (AI) disruption to a possible mismatch between university training and industry needs, the ground beneath graduate employment is shifting. But even as young jobseekers brace for a longer, bumpier road ahead, there are wider implications for Singapore that will need to be addressed. Cyclical or new trend Data from this year's joint graduate employment survey for the 2024 cohort corresponds with what young jobseekers are saying. The proportion that remained unemployed six months after graduation grew to 12.9 per cent, up from 10.4 per cent in 2023. This marks the third straight year of increase. In particular, only 79.5 per cent of the 2024 cohort found full-time permanent jobs – a 4.6-percentage-point drop from 2023 levels and the lowest rate in seven years. The numbers are even more stark for graduates from private universities: The unemployment rate jumped 8.4 percentage points year on year to 25.2 per cent, and fewer than half of the cohort found full-time permanent jobs. In March, then minister of state for education Gan Siow Huang told Parliament that employment rates of fresh graduates from Singapore's autonomous universities have remained 'broadly stable over the decade, with some year-to-year fluctuations due to cyclical changes'. She noted that there was lower hiring demand and fewer vacancies last year, even if the labour market remained tight after the post-Covid recovery. Labour market watchers are mixed over whether the falling numbers indicate the start of a worrying trend of higher unemployment among graduates. Some observers say the numbers are not too far off pre-Covid levels and could be part of a 'cyclical fluctuation', even as they point out underlying reasons for the recent spike. 'Graduate unemployment had declined for many disciplines over 2020 to 2022, owing to a spike in hiring for certain sectors like tech and also possibly due to favourable government policies like the Jobs Support Scheme and SGUnited Jobs and Skills,' says Maybank economist Brian Lee. 'When looked at from a five-year horizon, it is not yet clear that we are in a graduate unemployment uptrend.' Walter Theseira, an economist from the Singapore University of Social Sciences, says recent numbers reflect a trend towards 'non-traditional employment' – namely, gig work, contract roles and short-term work replacing the traditional 9-to-5. This trend started with polytechnic and Institute of Technical Education graduates, and is now increasingly common among university graduates. He based this observation on overall employment rates remaining more stable, even as full-time permanent employment rates have been trending down. 'This is likely partly driven by employers preferring more flexibility in contracting employment, the shift towards technology and business process-driven outsourcing, as well as preferences from graduates themselves for more flexible forms of work,' says Assoc Prof Theseira. Tech moves rapidly despite the slow economy While the uncertain economy could be a factor, the apparent slowing demand for fresh graduate talent may not be as straightforward as it seems. 'A tougher business environment could have led employers to become more selective with hiring, with a preference for more experienced hires over fresh graduates,' says Maybank's Lee. 'Some companies could be increasingly relying on non-permanent staff, such as contract hires.' Yet, some graduates may be holding out for roles that match their salary expectations or for permanent employment, which can make their job search longer in a competitive market, says David Blasco, country director at recruiter Randstad Singapore. Eugene Tan, associate economist at Moody's Analytics, notes there are other structural reasons as well. While job vacancies for professionals, managers, executives and technicians have fallen, the latest figure, he notes, sits at about 40 per cent above 2019 levels. 'This indicates that the challenge facing graduates may stem more from a mismatch of skills than an oversupply of university graduates,' he says. The skills mismatch is further widened by rapid technological advancements, says Blasco, making the job-seeking market seem much more competitive than before. 'Many employers now have higher hiring expectations, and candidates are expected to hit the ground running without needing extensive training and onboarding,' he says. To be sure, the woes faced by fresh graduates are not unique to Singapore but a global phenomenon. A May report by California-based venture capital firm SignalFire notes that new graduates account for just 7 per cent of hires at Big Tech companies. New hires in 2024 fell 25 per cent compared with 2023 and over 50 per cent from 2019 levels. Lewis Garrad, Asia career leader at HR consulting firm Mercer, draws a parallel with the US, where unemployment among recent graduates has also risen. 'What we can see in the US is that graduates in areas such as technology, finance, and professional services are having the most difficulty finding employment. These are areas that hired aggressively during the post-Covid period and are likely to be adjusting to a new economic trajectory,' he says. At the same time, these industries are also where AI is being adopted most quickly, he points out, with senior management 'encouraging the use of AI by reducing other available resources'. The paradox of tech demand As more companies digitalise and adopt AI, the demand for tech talent remains unsatiated, despite high-profile layoffs. Yet, this does not necessarily translate into more jobs for tech graduates, as Koh found out the hard way. Blasco says the paradox exists because technological developments have outpaced the supply of graduates with 'the right mix of practical, industry-ready skills'. 'Employers report difficulty finding candidates with relevant hands-on experience, even as talent and roles in AI and data science soar in demand,' he says. In May, top LinkedIn executive Aneesh Raman warned in The New York Times that 'the bottom rung of the career ladder' will be the first to be broken by AI-led disruptions, as advanced tools take over simple tasks once assigned to new hires. In Singapore, AI may not have had a 'pronounced impact on employment as yet', as companies are still adapting to AI, says Terence Ho, deputy executive director at the Institute for Adult Learning (IAL) Singapore. Citing Mercer's research, Garrad says only 29 per cent of Singapore organisations are regularly using generative AI, and only 5 per cent say AI has 'led to a fundamental shift in their business model'. Even so, watchers agree it may be a matter of time. Assoc Prof Ho from IAL says 'it is recognised that AI can replace a large number of entry-level job tasks', including market research, coding and compilation of reports. More generally, if and when AI displaces entry-level jobs, the question remains: how can new hires learn the ropes to progress to more senior positions? 'This is the question that all organisations with professional and knowledge workforces are trying to answer,' says Garrad. 'Some will simply keep a smaller entry-level layer with a specific focus on growing talent with less attrition', (while others) will look to invent entirely new types of jobs that utilise AI to maintain this talent pool,' he says. 'However, these new types of jobs remain unknown.' But perhaps the bigger question is whether the use of AI affects the way people learn in the first place. Assoc Prof Theseira notes that it is common today for students to use AI to answer assignments – something that is impossible to ban. 'It is unclear from our viewpoint as educators that students learn the same way when they get help from AI, as when they used traditional self-directed study and writing,' he says. 'Will a year of experience on the job with AI tools lead to more skill development or less skill development than a 'traditional' year? We don't know the answer,' he adds. In theory, it could go either way, he says, with AI either increasing productivity and skills exposure, or becoming a crutch preventing workers from developing higher skills. Learning the ropes without 'starter jobs' Fresh graduates lament the conundrum they face – that employers expect work experience even in entry-level positions. Low Peck Hoon, a senior career coach at tech education firm General Assembly, says the company has observed an increasing number of fresh graduates globally attending its bootcamps and workshops to learn digital skills such as coding and data analytics. She adds that upskilling is no longer for mid-career workers, and that it is just as important for fresh graduates to participate in project-based learning and build a professional portfolio. 'Great ways to start would be to seek out short or free workshops and courses by established providers, attend networking events to build relationships with a variety of industry peers, and document your achievements to build a strong portfolio,' she says. For Koh, the data science graduate, his post-graduate internship at car rental startup GetGo turned out to be 'one of the most fulfilling and best internship experiences' he has ever had, where he got to fully immerse himself in coding, 'get (his) hands dirty' and learn directly from like-minded seniors. Koh Long Yang (centre, in white) with his colleagues from car rental startup GetGo. PHOTO: KOH LONG YANG The pay was low at just S$1,000, but he 'consoled' himself at the thought that he learnt a lot through the experience. In fact, he wants to tell other graduate jobseekers who are struggling to keep an open mind, and that 'it is not paiseh (embarrassing) to take an internship'. 'It's a temporary role, and it may not be the usual path that people take, but you just need to treat it as a stepping stone because it may actually help you. You may meet people who can refer you, and also become equipped with more technical skills,' he said. And that is exactly how it has turned out for him. About six months in, one of his colleagues referred him to Deloitte, where he has been working as an analyst since May. Government intervention? Observers point out that if graduate unemployment levels continue to rise, there could be wider implications. 'A high youth unemployment (rate) is concerning as it will undermine consumption spending and limit opportunities for youth, posing short and long-term risks to Singapore's economy,' says Tan from Moody's Analytics. Ives Tay, an independent consultant on SkillsFuture accreditation and compliance, notes that it also could delay marriage and home ownership, while a misalignment between education and job outcomes is a waste of talent and resources. For employers, AI might reduce the short term-need for junior hires, but 'skipping them entirely risks breaking the long-term talent pipeline,' according to the SignalFire report. 'The industry's future depends on equipping the next generation with skills that grow alongside the evolving technology landscape.' Asked if the government should consider bringing back Covid-era incentives to encourage employers to hire fresh graduates, most watchers are ambivalent. Tan says such incentives would be helpful but expensive and unsustainable, while Assoc Prof Ho says it is necessary to also consider the impact they would have on the hiring of other groups of workers, including mid-career ones. Tay says they may ultimately be 'treating symptoms, not causes' and could risk 'institutionalising dependency'. 'Incentives alone won't fix the underlying mismatch between graduate output and workforce readiness,' he adds. More broadly, watchers agree that what policymakers can do is to ensure educational outcomes remain aligned with industry needs. One issue though, is just the nature of the education training cycle, where decisions are made today for jobs four years later, says Assoc Prof Theseira. He adds that training to very specific skills is 'probably also not a good idea for the students' lifelong employability', given how skill requirements can change rapidly. 'So a mix has to be found between job and skill-specific training, and general training that allows students to adapt in the future.'
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Panel with AI experts to review appeal of Singapore university student penalised for academic misconduct
SINGAPORE: A panel with artificial intelligence experts convened by the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) will assess the appeal of one of the three university students who were penalised for AI usage in their submitted work. All three of them were given zero marks for an essay as part of a module on health, disease outbreaks and politics at the School of Social Sciences. In response to queries, NTU said on June 26 that it had met two of the students in separate face-to-face consultations this week to discuss their cases. The objective of the consultation for the first student was to assess the grounds for appeal and not to make any conclusions about the specifics of her case, said a spokeswoman. For the second student, her request for an appeal was rejected, as 'the student had admitted to using Gen AI for the essay and had shared how it was used prior to the preliminary inquiry in April', she added. The third student told The Straits Times that he did not submit an appeal. NTU said the first student has formally submitted her appeal to the university, adding that details cannot be provided while this process is ongoing. This student had first recounted her experience of being questioned if she had used AI for an essay by her instructor, Assistant Professor Sabrina Luk, in a Reddit post on June 19. In the post, she claimed she was accused of using AI for a final essay for a particular module because she had made errors in her citations and used a reference organiser. A reference organiser is a software tool that helps collect and organise references and citations. The student, who is in her third year reading public policy and global affairs, said she had provided proof of her writing process but was not met with leniency. This included a time-lapse of her writing recorded by Draftback, a Google Chrome extension that records one's writing process. She was told she had committed academic fraud, resulting in a permanent academic warning and a drop in her grade point average. She requested to remain anonymous. She told ST that during this week's consultation, a panel consisting of senior academics reviewed her essay paragraph by paragraph and allowed her to explain her writing process, and show how she used the reference organiser. In a Reddit post on June 26, she said that she would do her best to get grades for the other components of the assignment apart from the citations. 'But if this last attempt fails, then I'll treat this as a lesson that sometimes things are unfair, but we move forward,' she said. The second student told ST that she felt 'hopeless' at the outcome of her request for an appeal. She said she had used AI only for background research and did not include any generated responses from ChatGPT in her essay. Her ChatGPT history and essay was shown during the proceedings. She said she was not aware that using ChatGPT for background research was not allowed because of NTU's AI policy and was not asked to submit any academic integrity form. In general, students are allowed to use Gen AI in their assignments, the spokeswoman told ST. 'As part of academic integrity, students are asked to declare any use of AI and how they are being used,' she said. 'When using AI, students are ultimately responsible for the content generated. They must ensure factual accuracy and cite all sources properly.' She added that some instructors may disallow the use of Gen AI for specific pedagogical reasons. In this case, the professor had disallowed AI use for a specific written assignment to assess students' research skills, their originality and independent thinking. The professor's briefing slides to students, which were seen by ST, said: 'The use of ChatGPT and other AI tools are not allowed in the development or generation of the essay proposal or the long essay. 'You will receive a zero mark for the assignment if you are caught using ChatGPT and other AI for writing assignments.' The spokeswoman said the university remains committed to its goal of equipping students with the knowledge and skills to use AI technologies 'productively, ethically and critically'. 'If AI is not allowed, the reasons are communicated to students, so they understand the course instructor's desired learning outcomes.' - The Straits Times/ANN
