At a time when the use of AI tools has grown exponentially, plagiarism is becoming an increasingly pressing issue for universities. RV University in Bengaluru has recently taken steps to curb the use of such tools, particularly ChatGPT, by banning it altogether. The move is supported by other universities in the city, including Dayananda Sagar University and International Institute of Information Technology – Bangalore (IIIT-B), both of which have developed strategies to prevent plagiarism.
The Dean of Computer Science and Engineering at RV University, Sanjay Chitnis, has declared that students are expected to submit only original works for assessments, and any use of AI-generated content will not be tolerated. To ensure that students do not misuse such tools, the university will carry out surprise checks if any doubt arises as to the originality of the submission. Additionally, students may be asked to redo the content on their own.
The advisory issued by RV University says, “For some work, students will be explicitly permitted to use AI agents to enable higher productivity and to get used to a work environment where such agents will be allowed to be used.” The university has blocked ChatGPT for general tutorials and lab sessions.
Other universities have taken different measures to address the problem. Christ University has provided a list of banned AI bots, while Dayananda Sagar University has changed the nature of assignments. IIIT-B has created a small committee to develop a structural framework for using ChatGPT to prevent plagiarism.
According to a new research conducted by a professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, ChatGPT 3 was able to pass the final exam for the school’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) program. Another professor at Minnesota University Law School gave ChatGPT the same test faced by students, consisting of 95 multiple-choice questions and 12 essay questions and it passed the exam after writing essays on topics ranging from constitutional law to taxation and torts.
Given the current situation, universities have made it clear that any use of AI-generated content will not be tolerated. By taking such precautions, they hope to ensure that only original works are submitted by students.
