Why US colleges, universities are facing a big ChatGPT ‘problem’ – Times of India

Good grades are needed as are extracurricular activities. But if there’s one thing needed to get admission in a US college or university then it is the personal essay. All colleges look for the personal essay as one of the most critical factors before admitting a student. However, the advent of ChatGPT, Google Bard and other generative AI tools have created a dilemma for educational institutes. According to a report by The New York Times, several universities are facing a challenge when it comes to college essays. “The idea that this central component of a story could be manufactured by someone other than the applicant is disheartening,” said Lee Coffin, dean of admissions, Dartmouth College, in a podcast, as per the report.

Thumbs up or thumbs down to AI?

A lot of educational institutes have taken different stances on the use of AI, according to the report. For example, the University of Michigan has completely banned the use of AI. The university issued admission guidelines earlier this year, in which it clearly stated that “applicants ought not use ChatGPT or other artificial intelligence tools as part of their drafting process.”
However, Arizona State University has asked students to use AI responsibly and is allowed to use AI tools. Georgia Tech has taken a mixed approach, as per the report. The educational institution said that applicants can use AI tools to “refine and edit” but can “not copy and paste content you did not create directly into your application.”
This is the first year when generative AI has really gone mainstream and hence the colleges, and universities in a brand new territory. Generative AI is not going anywhere, any time soon — which is why educators are grappling with the issue. Should they allow it or completely ban it? It is an issue that will continue to linger for a while now.