You may have noticed—technology is threatening to automate everything. It's not just automobile assembly line workers losing their jobs these days. Hollywood screenwriters are under threat, and therapists, and—attorneys. The end of the world? Or just a new situation we need to adjust to? Answering that question is above our pay grade.
Here's what we can say: while sophisticated AI programs like GitHub Copilot have the power to make our lives faster and easier, they are often viewed with extreme suspicion by college and university professors. As a result, you can never be sure when a paranoid instructor with an itchy trigger finger may decide to level a charge of academic misconduct at you.
If that happens, don't panic. There's help available. The Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team was specifically founded to protect student rights. We're defense attorneys, but as the name implies, we work specifically in the area of student defense. We know the law, we know how your school's judicial procedures work, and we're very aware of the technology issues that are starting to create chaos at schools around the country.
We are always on your side. If you're facing an academic misconduct allegation related to GitHub Copilot or any other technology, we'll make sure you're treated fairly and that you get the best possible resolution to your case. To find out more, call 888-535-3686 today, or take time right now and tell us about your case.
What Is GitHub CoPilot?
If you're a computer science major, you probably already know about GitHub CoPilot. In fact, you may have heard about it just from taking a single comp sci course. For the uninitiated, though,
GitHub Copilot is an AI program built to help write computer code. It includes important tools used in industry that offer coding suggestions and are capable of debugging code. It ensures that everything we use from Candy Crush to the Wal Mart website runs the way it should.
Great.
When put in the hands of aspiring computer science graduates, though, it can be a dangerous temptation to cheat.
The Problem With GitHub Copilot From the University Perspective
If you're a college student, you can probably spot the problem with GitHub Copilot right away. It eliminates the need to actually write any code yourself, thus negating the need to actually complete any of your assignments on your own or, for that matter, learn anything about computer science. You can understand why faculty—the educational gatekeepers—might be losing sleep at night over this particular AI.
It is worth noting that programs like GitHub pilot may eventually signal the end of coding altogether. Consider the car, for example. Once upon a time, you needed to know how an engine worked in order to drive a car. Few of us can take a transmission apart today, though. It could very well be that one day in the not-so-distant future, the computer interface will be sophisticated enough that it can code on its own with basic input from us.
That's not the world we're living in today, though. The prevailing paradigm requires that computer science majors know how to code. Using a program to code for you is pretty obviously the definition of cheating.
What Could Go Wrong With GitHub Copilot?
If you're currently using GitHub Copilot to complete your computer science assignments, you're going to run into trouble sooner or later.
First, there's every chance your instructors will catch you. Just as AI engineers have been hard at work creating programs like GitHub Copilot, they've also been hard at work creating software to detect code plagiarism. The fact is, such plagiarism has been growing exponentially since the invention of the internet, as students hop online and grab code from anywhere and everywhere. GitHub just fast-tracked the process. But precisely because this kind of cheating has been going on for so long, these detectors have become very, very good at what they do.
There are other tried and true methods for catching cheaters, though. An instructor can simply sit down with you and ask you to explain a piece of code. They might ask you to submit drafts and track the changes you make. There are even algorithms out there now that point out when a student is making progress more quickly than they should.
Get caught, and the consequences could be severe. Copying code is regarded as plagiarism, the same as turning in an English paper you copied from your roommate. Classroom sanctions can include lower grades or even failing the course outright. You could be further disciplined by your university with probation, suspension, and expulsion. And if a record of your infraction shows up on your transcript, it could have a long-lasting effect on your academic and professional careers.
As bad as all that can be, though, there are worse consequences. Even if you manage to avoid detection until you graduate, at some point, you're going to find yourself in a job with no knowledge of how to code. The old adage, it turns out, is actually true: when you cheat, you only really hurt yourself. In fact, even using GitHub Copilot just to check your own code for errors will ultimately mean you don't develop your own debugging skills.
Defending Yourself
Here's the thing, though: just because you've been accused of copying code doesn't mean you did it. All those detection methods can get things wrong. And even if you did make some sort of mistake, it doesn't mean you deserve to have the book thrown at you. The line is blurry when it comes to technology these days.
So what do you do if you're facing charges?
- First, remain calm. Getting upset can lead you to do and say things that may ultimately harm your defense. Your best option is to say as little as possible and to respond to faculty and administrators politely.
- Next, save your work. It's always a good idea to hang on to your coursework, even from past courses. You can never tell when an old essay or homework assignment might be useful in proving what you know.
- Most importantly, contact the Lento Law Firm. The Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team was founded to protect student rights, and we take that job very seriously. We know the law, and we know how your school's judicial system operates. We also know what kinds of issues tend to come up with technology is involved in the learning process.
Whatever your situation, you deserve fair treatment. We'll make sure you get it. Call 888-535-3686 today to find out how we can help, or take time right now to fill out our online form.
