There's no gray area: cheating on tests or homework is wrong. Schools consider cheating academic misconduct, and it violates all schools and colleges' codes of ethics. It can even be grounds for expulsion. All students know that, but they also know that it's only really true you're caught. Now, with new technology innovations come more opportunities to test the limits. Referring to notes on hidden mobile phones or getting the answers emailed ahead of a test date, even finding SAT answers leaked online seem downright arcane in the face of one of the most accessible forms of cheating: artificial intelligence.

A recent case at Texas A&M University at Commerce made headlines recently for being one of the first major cases involving student use of artificial intelligence (AI) to cheat. The students jeopardized their degrees and their academic careers in a case that shows just how difficult it can be to detect the use of AI—and how serious the consequences may be.

How is AI Used to Cheat

The tricky thing about today's version of AI—generative artificial intelligence—is that it can mimic student logic and writing. It can draft whole paragraphs and even essays that have all the earmarks of a human-generated document because they use human-generated documents to “train” their bots. That's what makes it especially tricky to identify.

The Case Against the Texas Students

In the Texas A&M Commerce case, a professor used AI to catch the students who used AI. Animal Science professor Jared Mumm used ChatGPT, a popular AI program, to detect plagiarism used the program in the final papers due for the class. Students who needed the class to graduate panicked, and many who could prove their innocence through a research paper trail were exonerated. The case raised issues of where the line is for cheating and how students can defend themselves if they are wrongly accused.

In the end, one Texas A&M Commerce student did admit to using ChatGPT for their work in the class. But in the end, no students were expelled. Instead, the university took it as a learning moment and is currently drafting policies to tackle the inevitable use—and potential misuse—of AI in the classroom.

What To Do if You're Accused of Using AI

Students who are accused of using AI may be charged with academic misconduct or even expelled. If you are a student or the parent of a student who has been accused of cheating, the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team can help.

The Lento Law Firm is comprised of committed and experienced advocates.

The Lento Law Firm's premier Student Discipline Defense Team can help. Their years of nationwide experience set them apart. Call 888.535.3686 or go online now for a skilled and experienced team.