If you are like most college students, you have probably wondered whether ChatGPT or other writing artificial intelligence (AI) can help you write your academic papers. You may think the answer is yes if you believe their creators’ hype. However, while it may get there one day, AI is not yet ready to imitate human writing. Using it to write your papers is not going to fool your professors. It will also not help you learn what you need to know.

What Is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is a chatbot developed by OpenAI in November 2022. It uses artificial intelligence to write in a human-like manner. It is prevalent, especially in the United States. It is the most popular chatbot, but other developers are improving their AI to compete with ChatGPT.

Can ChatGPT Write Like a Person?

This is probably the most significant question people have about chatbots. Can they write like a human? The answer is not a simple yes or no. ChatGPT and other AI can write human-like responses to simple questions. They can even write human-like essays. However, their ability to do so depends significantly on the subject matter—the more complex and nuanced the subject matter, the less human-like ChatGPT sounds.

One of the giveaways that ChatGPT does not write entirely humanly is that sites like turnitin.com and Google can identify the use of AI in academic documents. That means computers can tell the difference between human writing and computer writing, even if the human reader cannot detect it. That makes sense since computers do not get tired or overwhelmed by grading. So, they can help your educators spot the use of AI in your writing. If they do, it can lead to severe problems for you. The use of AI in education is now being identified and blocked due to the threat it poses to academic integrity. Using it could expose you to disciplinary procedures and threaten your grades.

The Positives of ChatGPT

While you should not use ChatGPT to write your essays, that does not mean the technology is useless. It can help level the playing field for students who lack access to traditional tutoring or personalized instruction. So, while you should not use ChatGPT to write your short answers, essays, or other academic assignments, it can affect your education.

First, ChatGPT is excellent for people with disabilities. As its name implies, ChatGPT has a speaking component. So, it can speak responses, making it a perfect tool for students with dyslexia or sight impairments. It can also help students who struggle with using a keyboard. Because it succinctly summarizes information, it can also help students work to master content. That can help students with learning disabilities or other challenges, making a topic inaccessible.

ChatGPT is also helpful for non-native English speakers. If you have ever run a document through translation software, you already know those programs are imperfect. ChatGPT does a better job than most translation programs. So, you can use it to translate material into your first language, making it easier to understand.

Next, ChatGPT can be a good resource for homework help. We have all been in a situation where we are trying to complete a homework assignment and cannot find the correlation between the questions the professor is asking and the material covered in class. So, most of us have turned to Professor Google at some point in time to try to answer those questions. You can do the same thing with ChatGPT. Still, instead of just providing links to potential answers, ChatGPT can give you explanations, examples, and solutions. Of course, it pulls that information from what is available on the internet, which means that it is possible for an answer to include misinformation.

ChatGPT can also tailor the learning experience for each student. One of the best things about AI is that it recognizes patterns and trends. So you can use it to help you find your strengths and weaknesses. You can also use it to help tailor notes and answers to your learning style.

One of the most significant benefits of ChatGPT may be for educators. They can use it to help create exams, worksheets, quizzes, and lesson plans. They can use ChatGPT to help analyze student assignments. They can even use AI to assess academic integrity. For example, most colleges and universities use turnitin.com, a form of AI.

The Negatives of ChatGPT and Other Writing AI

For students, one of the most significant risks of using ChatGPT is that it can provide inaccurate information. Remember that AI is drawing from data available online. It does have a component where it ranks sources according to what is likely to be a better resource. However, it lacks the human element, meaning nonsense can get through. That can lead to lower grades for you. Even worse, it can lead to you embracing misinformation. That may not seem like a very high risk. However, we have a great real-life example of scientific misinformation doing great harm that can help highlight that risk. Several years ago, a researcher published study results that suggested a link between early childhood immunizations and Autism. After years, that research was debunked. However, it spawned tons of other articles and “research,” and many people still believe in that link. Using AI to gather the information for your academic writing increases the risk that it will include misinformation.

Another risk of AI is a lack of academic integrity. You should not turn in anyone else’s writing as your own. However, many students do not realize it also refers to AI-generated responses or essays. ChatGPT increases the temptation to plagiarize and cheat. Since most students have equal access to ChatGPT, you might think it is a “victimless” way to cheat. After all, you are not getting the advantage that your classmates lack. However, the real victim is you. Suppose you rely on ChatGPT or other AI to generate responses for you. In that case, you reduce your ability to think critically, write creatively, and brainstorm. So, when you are in a situation where you have to write without ChatGPT, like during an exam, you may find it increasingly difficult to write your answers.

One of the most important things to consider in academic writing is bias. However, chatbots may not recognize that bias. Some resources will inevitably be biased. Suppose you have done any serious academic research and writing. In that case, you already know how bias can creep into sources, even those that seem reputable. It can be difficult for a human to spot that bias. It can be impossible for AI to spot bias. AI can increase tendency, resulting in an answer that is so biased that it is incorrect.

ChatGPT also gets less reliable with more niche classes. When plenty of information is available about a topic, AI can quickly review and access information. It does an excellent job of disregarding misinformation and compiling the best available facts. However, as you get more niche, finding enough sources to access information can be difficult.

Finally, computers still struggle to understand human emotions. That means that they may not have emotional intelligence. Sarcasm and humor, especially if it is non-conventional, can challenge ChatGPT. This is especially difficult because chatbots are designed to write empathetically but cannot empathize with people. So, there can be a vast disconnect between the context of the questions you ask and the context of the answers it provides.

Use Paperdue for the Human Touch

Remember, you are not buying a degree when you pay for your classes. You are buying an education. Using Chat-GPT to handle your writing assignments not only cheats your classmates but also cheats you. Instead of relying on AI for writing help, turn to a professional writer. We have the resources you need to help you become a better writer. Our examples and study documents are researched and written by humans, not AI. Our outlines, writing guides, and example essays help you learn by example. You learn the information in your classes and improve your communication skills. So, skip the AI and call us when you need writing help. We provide you with the tools, examples, outlines, and sources you need to complete a perfect paper, on your own, without AI.