You know all about the various AI programs out there that can help you cut corners in school. Maybe you haven't used ChatGPT, QuillBot, or Chatpdf yourself, but you probably know someone who has. What you might not know is just how strongly schools are now fighting back against digital cheating. The thing is, just as there are companies out there pushing AI on students, there's a whole industry that has grown up around promising to catch cheaters.
Khanmigo and other similar AIs aren't foolproof. They're supposed to generate reports tagging every instance of plagiarism, including any copying and pasting a student might do from a site like ChatGPT. What happens when they get things wrong, though? What happens when a misunderstanding results in an academic misconduct charge?
If your school has accused you of cheating or plagiarism, and it's relying on a Khanmigo report as evidence, you can't afford to take the situation lightly. You need to respond quickly and decisively. Part of doing that is retaining an attorney from the Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team. We're practicing defense attorneys, but we're specifically focused on helping students defend themselves. We've handled hundreds of cases involving academic misconduct, and we understand the complexities involved in campus AI issues.
What can we do for you? Find out by calling 888-535-3686, or take time right now to tell us about your case.
Defining Khanmigo
Khanmigo is a multi-purpose platform with several AI programs that perform different functions. If you're a student, for instance, Khanmigo can be a tutor of sorts. Its extensive databases on academic subjects make it ideal for research, and it can quiz you as you're preparing for an exam. One of the nice things about the program is that, at least in theory, you can use it without opening yourself to a charge of academic misconduct. Khanmigo insists that, by design, you cannot use it to cheat.
If you're a teacher, Khanmigo can supposedly catch cheating. Like other AI programs—GPTZero, Copyleaks, and Turnitin, for example—it can spot plagiarism if you're relying on any online material. In addition, it can detect passages copied from ChatGPT and other text generators. Instructors upload student work, and Khanmigo provides them with a full report of that work's originality.
No AI is Perfect
The trouble with Khanmigo and programs like it is that they aren't foolproof. Whatever claims the company's marketing team might make, AI makes mistakes. Artificial intelligence can be especially bad at making fine distinctions between different types of human work. It might be able to tell the difference between passages by Charles Dickens and Stephen King, for instance. It can even create original passages in the styles of these writers. However, it can't explain which one is best or why without resorting to online commentary from actual humans. When there are no humans to ask about your work, there's at least some chance it'll get things wrong.
Faculty and administrators tend to invest in the opinions of these AI, though, and you can wind up accused of an offense even if Khanmigo makes a mistake. Once you're accused, you can't be certain where an investigation might lead, and the fact that you're entirely innocent may not be enough to save you.
Often, academic misconduct is punished with in-class sanctions like lower grades on assignments or lower course grades. However, schools have become more aggressive in recent years, and there have been instances when students were suspended or dismissed outright over their use of AI tools. Keep in mind as well that any black mark on your record, no matter how small, can cost you scholarships, damage graduate school applications, and even become an issue during job interviews.
What Do You Do If You're Accused?
The good news in the midst of all of this is that your school affords you some important due process rights. For example, you're entitled to a presumption of innocence (“not responsible”), to a thorough investigation, and to a formal hearing. Your school can't simply accuse you and dismiss you.
Unfortunately, it's not always easy to know how to use your rights effectively. Navigating disciplinary procedures can be complex, and the unusual nature of AI charges can further complicate matters. It is sometimes necessary, for instance, to present evidence that undermines an AI's ability to detect AI usage. That kind of evidence may not be easy to lay your hands on. Likewise, do you know how to disinter evidence that you wrote multiple drafts of an essay?
You need the very best help you can get, someone who can not only guide you through the disciplinary process but who has an intimate understanding of how AI cases, in particular, work. The attorneys at the Lento Law Firm know your rights, and they know what counts as the strongest evidence in digital plagiarism cases.
Protecting Yourself and Your Future
Of course, the simplest way to avoid an academic misconduct charge, whether the evidence comes from an AI detector or a simple comparison of several papers, is to avoid academic misconduct.
If you should wind up accused despite your best efforts, though, how should you handle the situation?
- First and foremost, don't overreact. When you overreact to accusations, you can wind up doing or saying things you regret. Even if you are entirely innocent, you could do permanent damage to your defense. Take all allegations seriously, but trust in the process to clear you of charges.
- Keep everything associated with the case, including all of your work. It's actually a good idea these days to hold on to all of your coursework. You can never tell when a freshman comp essay you wrote may be exactly what you need to prove you're a better writer than Khanmigo thinks you are.
- Most importantly, contact the Lento Law Firm as soon as possible. The issues related to AI cheating and plagiarism can be difficult to unravel, and you're going to need all the help you can get to work your way through your school's judicial processes.
The Lento Law Firm has helped hundreds of students defend themselves from college and university charges. We can help you to do the same. Call 888-535-3686 today, or take time right now to fill out our online form.
