Nearly 7,000 UK University Students Caught Cheating Using AI: Report
Nearly 7,000 university students in the UK were caught cheating using ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence tools during the 2023-24 academic year, according to data obtained by The Guardian. As part of the investigation, the British newspaper contacted 155 universities under the Freedom of Information Act. Of those, 131 institutions responded.
The latest figures show 5.1 confirmed cases of AI-related cheating for every 1,000 students, a rise from 1.6 per 1,000 the previous year. Early projections for the current academic cycle suggest the number could climb even higher to 7.5 per 1,000 students.
The growing reliance on AI tools like ChatGPT is proving to be a major challenge for higher education institutions. At the same time, cases of traditional plagiarism have dropped. From 19 per 1,000 students in 2019-20 to 15.2 last year, the number has gone down and is expected to fall further to 8.5 per 1,000.
Experts warn that the recorded cases may be only scratching the surface. "I would imagine those caught represent the tip of the iceberg," said Dr Peter Scarfe, associate professor of psychology at the University of Reading. "AI detection is very unlike plagiarism, where you can confirm the copied text. As a result, in a situation where you suspect the use of AI, it is near impossible to prove, regardless of the percentage AI that your AI detector says (if you use one). This is coupled with not wanting to falsely accuse students."
Evidence suggests AI misuse is far more widespread than reported. A February survey by the Higher Education Policy Institute found that 88 per cent of students admitted to using AI for assessments. Researchers at the University of Reading tested their own systems last year and found AI-generated submissions went undetected 94 per cent of the time.
Online platforms are making it easier. The report found dozens of videos on TikTok promoting AI paraphrasing and essay-writing tools that help students bypass standard university detectors by "humanising" ChatGPT-generated content.
Dr Thomas Lancaster, an academic integrity researcher at Imperial College London, said, "When used well and by a student who knows how to edit the output, AI misuse is very hard to prove. My hope is that students are still learning through this process."
Science and technology secretary Peter Kyle told The Guardian that AI should be used to "level up" opportunities for dyslexic children.
Tech giants are already targeting students as key users. Google offers university students a free 15-month upgrade to its Gemini AI tool, while OpenAI provides discounted access to students in the US and Canada.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
an hour ago
- Economic Times
Apple executives held internal talks about buying Perplexity: Report
Apple executives have held internal talks about potentially bidding for artificial intelligence startup Perplexity, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people with knowledge of the matter. The discussions are at an early stage and may not lead to an offer, the report said, adding that the tech behemoth's executives have not discussed a bid with Perplexity's management. "We have no knowledge of any current or future M&A discussions involving Perplexity," Perplexity said in response to a Reuters' request for comment. Apple did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment. Big tech companies are doubling down on investments to enhance AI capabilities and support growing demand for AI-powered services to maintain competitive leadership in the rapidly evolving tech landscape. Bloomberg News also reported on Friday that Meta Platforms tried to buy Perplexity earlier this year. Meta announced a $14.8 billion investment in Scale AI last week and hired Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang to lead its new superintelligence unit. Adrian Perica, Apple's head of mergers and acquisitions, has weighed the idea with services chief Eddy Cue and top AI decision-makers, as per the report. The iPhone maker reportedly plans to integrate AI-driven search capabilities - such as Perplexity AI - into its Safari browser, potentially moving away from its longstanding partnership with Alphabet's Google. Banning Google from paying companies to make it their default search engine is one of the remedies proposed by the U.S. Department of Justice to break up its dominance in online search. While traditional search engines such as Google still dominate global market share, AI-powered search options including Perplexity and ChatGPT are gaining prominence and seeing rising user adoption, especially among younger generations. Perplexity recently completed a funding round that valued it at $14 billion, Bloomberg News reported. A deal close to that would be Apple's largest acquisition so far. The Nvidia-backed startup provides AI search tools that deliver information summaries to users, similar to OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Capillary Technologies' DRHP highlights rising competition, AI impact on business
Customer engagement and loyalty tech provider Capillary Technologies ' draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) highlights increasing competition to acquire and retain enterprise customers amid increasing impact of artificial intelligence (AI), challenging macroeconomic conditions and changing market dynamics. The Bengaluru-headquartered company filed its DRHP with the Securities and Exchanges Board of India on June 18, after it shelved its initial plans in 2021. It is looking to raise Rs 430 crore through its initial public offering this year. The company reported revenue of Rs 598 crore for 2024-25, up 13.9% from Rs 525 crore in the previous financial year, according to data from the DRHP. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Discover the best air conditioner unit prices in the Philippines 2024 Air Condition | Search Ads Search Now Undo Enterprise customer retention Capillary Technologies lost three customers in 2022-23 and one each in 2023-24 and 2024-25. In the case of large enterprise customers, it is facing competition from firms that offer similar services targeting enterprise customers as they cut costs, restructure and develop products in-house. Live Events 'While the afore-mentioned instances did not materially impact our financial condition, we cannot assure you that our business, financial condition and results of operations will not be adversely affected in the future due to such instances,' the DRHP said. Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories The AI impact In the DRHP, the company said that AI – which has been mentioned 81 times, compared to 18 times in the draft red herring prospectus filed in 2021 – is complex and rapidly evolving, and that it faces significant competition in the market and from other companies regarding such technologies. 'The adoption of Gen AI by various industries could lead to changes in our customers' operations. By adopting Gen AI, our customers may develop in-house capabilities which could impact the extent to which customers rely on us and reduce their need for our services,' it said. In addition, the company said it is incorporating AI in its solutions and business operations. 'Our research and development of such technology remains ongoing. AI presents risks, challenges, and unintended consequences that could affect our and our customers' adoption and use of this technology,' it said. R&D, acquisitions To maintain its competitive edge, the company has been investing significantly in AI. It invested 21.50% of its revenue in 2024-25, lower than 28.04% in the previous fiscal in research, design and development. According to the DRHP, the company will invest Rs 151 crore in research and development. It will also focus on inorganic growth through acquisitions to enter new business areas as a strategic initiative, the company said, albeit without disclosing the expenditure earmarked for this.
Economic Times
3 hours ago
- Economic Times
Capillary Technologies' DRHP highlights rising competition, AI impact on business
Customer engagement and loyalty tech provider Capillary Technologies' draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) highlights increasing competition to acquire and retain enterprise customers amid increasing impact of artificial intelligence (AI), challenging macroeconomic conditions and changing market dynamics. The Bengaluru-headquartered company filed its DRHP with the Securities and Exchanges Board of India on June 18, after it shelved its initial plans in 2021. It is looking to raise Rs 430 crore through its initial public offering this year. The company reported revenue of Rs 598 crore for 2024-25, up 13.9% from Rs 525 crore in the previous financial year, according to data from the DRHP. Enterprise customer retention Capillary Technologies lost three customers in 2022-23 and one each in 2023-24 and 2024-25. In the case of large enterprise customers, it is facing competition from firms that offer similar services targeting enterprise customers as they cut costs, restructure and develop products in-house. 'While the afore-mentioned instances did not materially impact our financial condition, we cannot assure you that our business, financial condition and results of operations will not be adversely affected in the future due to such instances,' the DRHP said. The AI impactIn the DRHP, the company said that AI – which has been mentioned 81 times, compared to 18 times in the draft red herring prospectus filed in 2021 – is complex and rapidly evolving, and that it faces significant competition in the market and from other companies regarding such technologies.'The adoption of Gen AI by various industries could lead to changes in our customers' operations. By adopting Gen AI, our customers may develop in-house capabilities which could impact the extent to which customers rely on us and reduce their need for our services,' it addition, the company said it is incorporating AI in its solutions and business operations. 'Our research and development of such technology remains ongoing. AI presents risks, challenges, and unintended consequences that could affect our and our customers' adoption and use of this technology,' it said. R&D, acquisitions To maintain its competitive edge, the company has been investing significantly in AI. It invested 21.50% of its revenue in 2024-25, lower than 28.04% in the previous fiscal in research, design and development. According to the DRHP, the company will invest Rs 151 crore in research and development. It will also focus on inorganic growth through acquisitions to enter new business areas as a strategic initiative, the company said, albeit without disclosing the expenditure earmarked for this.
