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 a revolution 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 is, to what extent should AI be used in the 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. Oftentimes these AI-generated assignments are being graded the same or even better than the assignments written by students. This discourages students who are putting genuine effort into their studies.

Moving forward AI will continue to be an integral 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 the teachers of all educational institutes to ensure fair grading. Or else students will become too much dependent on AI and creativity will stop flourishing.

Shimonti Das

Student

Department of Management

North South University

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