ChatGPT and plagiarism—these two terms have frequently appeared together, raising concerns and debates, especially in educational circles. The generative artificial intelligence chatbot sees approximately 5.19 billion visits monthly and ranks among the top ten visited websites globally. Students, educators, and researchers are the main users, employing ChatGPT for various tasks such as writing articles, essays, translating, summarizing text, and even creating computer codes. However, this increasing reliance on ChatGPT has led to many educators viewing its usage with suspicion, seeing it as both a potential boon for learning and a threat to developing core skills.
As the presence of ChatGPT becomes more pervasive, several educational institutions have taken strict measures to prohibit students from using this AI-powered generative platform, while some impose punishments on those found guilty of non-compliance. Thus, the question arises: Is it safe to use ChatGPT for homework without plagiarizing? This article aims to offer insights and guidelines on how students can ethically and effectively utilize ChatGPT for their assignments without falling into the trap of plagiarism.
1. Seek Inspiration
Envision this scenario: you power up your computer, start a new Word document, and prepare to type. Just before you begin, you ponder: where should you begin? Thankfully, ChatGPT can learn quickly. By processing a massive amount of text, including books, conversations, and web articles, it forms sentences based on its “training” from this model. If you feel lost about what you gleaned from a subject like calculus or mechanical engineering, try brainstorming ideas with ChatGPT. You might ask questions like: “Is [topic] a worthwhile dissertation idea?” “How can I study more effectively?” “What are some tips for managing my time?”
Bear in mind: Responses are limited, and there’s an end point. You’ll receive information up until September 2021 for the free version (GPT-3.5) and October 2023 for the GPT-4 model. Plus, ChatGPT doesn’t always provide the most precise answers, so don’t depend solely on it to confirm your ideas! Leveraging ChatGPT for inspiration can serve as a useful starting point, as long as users remain critical of the information sourced and verify it with credible references. This ensures the suggestions provided are up-to-date and relevant to the task at hand.
2. Plan Your Assignments
Did you know that ChatGPT can assist you in creating a clear, organized outline for your assignment? This is particularly useful if you’re undecided about a specific structure, as having a sample will give you different versions of how your final work might look. You can begin by inputting this prompt: “Draft an outline for an academic research paper with the following research question.” You can specify the page count and the number of headings and subheadings you want to include. Remember that this prompt would not help the chatbot deepen its understanding of the topic. Sometimes, ChatGPT might generate inappropriate headings.
If so, try the following prompt: “This appears to be too much information for just eight pages. Can you streamline the outline, for example, by removing the appendices and simplifying the structure?” Verify that the outline makes sense and covers all crucial points needed to address the question in your assignment. Utilizing ChatGPT to draft outlines can significantly aid in visualizing the breadth and depth required for essays and research, providing a structured roadmap to follow. Checking and refining the output helps align the outline with specific academic standards and requirements, ensuring it meets all necessary criteria.
3. Utilize AI Plagiarism Tools
Suppose you did use ChatGPT for your assignment. How can you ensure that your work is free of plagiarism? One way to distinguish between ChatGPT usage and plagiarism is by employing an AI plagiarism detector. Besides Turnitin, consider using other free AI plagiarism checkers such as GPTZero, ZeroGPT, and Winston AI. While a plagiarism checker might not definitively establish whether a language model generated a piece of text, it can help you spot instances of copying or paraphrasing from other sources.
Detecting plagiarism by an AI chatbot can still be challenging. That’s because AI writing tools use natural language and grammar to craft “unique and almost personalized content,” even if the content is drawn from a database, according to Aaron Leong from Digital Trends. Properly utilizing AI plagiarism tools can offer a layer of security by pinpointing areas that might resemble borrowed content, giving students the opportunity to revise and refine their work to be more original. This process enhances the integrity and authenticity of the assignment.
4. Simplify Your Research
Conducting research for an assignment is time-intensive and demands a lot of effort. Recall the last time you had to sift through numerous books just to find the right source for a compelling argument? Since ChatGPT is an AI chatbot, it can quickly process large quantities of material. If you’re looking for an efficient solution, here’s how the chatbot can help you summarize lengthy articles and break down the main points.
Enter the prompt: “Please condense the following article into a list of talking points.” Though having a summary is beneficial, ensure you double-check your source for accuracy, which should be easier once you have a summary of the main points. By providing a concise summary of vast information, ChatGPT can help streamline the research, making it easier to pinpoint pertinent details without sifting through copious material. Nevertheless, relying solely on AI summaries is not recommended without verifying the accuracy and context of the summarized content.
5. Obtain Approval from Your Professors
Play it safe. Never assume that your lecturers and professors are fine with how you believe you’ve used ChatGPT correctly or that your work is entirely original. What may seem acceptable or ethical to you may not be viewed the same way by your institution. Whether you’re asking it for essay prompts, a block of code, or even an introductory guide to your thesis, it’s highly advisable to talk to your instructors and be forthright about all the ways you’ve utilized the chatbot—and obtain their consent that you won’t be penalized.
It’s better to have them point out any mistakes before you’ve written an entire essay or when it’s too late to make any changes. By seeking approval and clarifying doubts in advance, students can ensure their method aligns with academic standards, thus avoiding potential pitfalls and misunderstandings. Institutions planning to permit ChatGPT usage might also provide specific guidelines on utilizing AI tools, ensuring both educators and students are on the same page regarding acceptable practices.
Future Considerations and Ethical Implications
ChatGPT and plagiarism are often mentioned together, sparking debates, particularly within educational sectors. This advanced AI chatbot garners around 5.19 billion visits monthly and is among the top ten most-visited websites worldwide. Students, educators, and researchers form its primary user base, leveraging ChatGPT for a diverse range of activities, including writing articles, essays, translating, summarizing text, and even coding. However, the growing reliance on ChatGPT has led some educators to view its use with suspicion. They see it as a double-edged sword—beneficial for learning but potentially detrimental to the development of essential skills.
As ChatGPT’s presence grows, many educational institutions have implemented strict policies to ban its usage by students, with some even punishing those who defy these rules. This leaves a pressing question: Is it safe to use ChatGPT for homework without resorting to plagiarism? This article aims to provide insights and guidelines to help students ethically and effectively use ChatGPT for their assignments, ensuring they steer clear of plagiarism pitfalls.