Impact of AI on academia

In simple terms, Artificial intelligence (AI) is a computer system designed to interact with the world in a human-like manner. It analyses all the available information and then provides the answer that is most suitable and cohesive. AI has brought nothing short of an upheaval in the education sector. AI tools such as ChatGPT, Ivvy Chatbot, Cognii and Gemini are regularly used by students and academics in their day-to-day lives. So, the question needs to be asked. To what extent should AI be used in academia?

AI can act as a good assistant tool in the life of a university student. It can save time when looking for information and improve one's original writing. However, the problem arises when students are generating their entire assignments through these AI tools. These AI-generated assignments are often being graded the same or even better than the assignments done by students. This discourages students who are putting genuine effort into their studies.

Moving forward AI will continue to be an undeniable part of academics. There is no way to avoid that. So, it is crucial to set up a universal guideline regarding the usage of AI in academic writing. AI detectors should be readily available and regularly utilised by teachers of all educational institutions to ensure a fair grading. Or else students will become hyper-dependent on AI and creativity will stop flourishing.

Shimonti Das

Student

Department of Management

North South University

[email protected]