3 min read
Beijing: Chinese students are trying to utilize chatbots to slash their homework time. As we know, chatGPT can solve problems and queries in just a few clicks. Chatbots can quickly produce A-grades, essays, poems and programming code; therefore, Chinese students tried it to solve their homework.
At the same time, they also seem concerned about the possibilities of plagiarism and cheating.
In China, multiple students told AFP that they had used the service unavailable without a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to write essays, solve math problems and generate computer code.
Esther Chen, an 11- year old Chinese boy, said chatGPT has helped to halve the time she studies at home, while her sister Nicole uses it to learn English.
Another child Esther, who attends a competitive school in the Southern Megacity of Shenzhen, said she used to spend around four to five hours daily on homework.
“My mum would stay up late until I finished all my homework, and we would fight constantly. Now chatGPT helps me to do the research quickly.”.
According to the research, several students had bought foreign numbers online or had to use VPNs to bypass restrictions and access chatGPT.
Though it’s not free, students must purchase the VPNs by paying 5.5 Yuan, while one registered in India costs less than one Yuan.
AI Book Report
The news, Chinese media reported many tech firms, including WeChat parent Tencent and rival Ant Group, cut access to ChatGPT on their platforms. However, they reported it as “foreign political propaganda”.
Esther’s mother reported that we had used a VPN for years. The girls are encouraged to read widely from different sources”.
On the other hand, she also said that we are more worried bout plagiarism and keep a close eye on her daughter.
Esther insisted that she did not want to use the chatbot to complete the task, but unfortunately, she didn’t get time to complete the novel “Hold Up The Sky” by Liu Cixin.
Moreover, she added that she could not do the task due to her swimming, chess and rhythmic gymnastics.
In contrast, she asked chatGPT to provide her with a summary and paragraphs about the main characters and themes.
It’s Helpful
Students are also using chatGPT to bypass China’s lucrative English language test. It is a test on which students learn thousands of words by rote with expensive tutors.
” I don’t want to memorize word lists or entire conversations, Stella Zheng, a 17- year old student.
So instead of spending her precious 600 Yuan, she preferred to learn through conversations with the chatbot.
“It’s beneficial and less pressure, offers instant feedback on my essays, and I can submit different versions”.
“I run all the personal statements and other application materials written by students through software to detect whether parts of it have been written using AI”, Lau, another college student.
Ban It Or Embrace It?
Baidu, Alibaba and JD.com, Chinese tech firms, said they are developing rivals to ChatGPT.
But Beijing announced that it would soon introduce new rules to govern AI.
Schools and teachers in China are also restricted from getting training to ensure academic ethics and rules.
“The big debate with chatGPT in classrooms is whether to ban or embrace it”, stated Tim Wallace, a teacher in Beijing.
“Teachers use the tool to generate customized lesson plans within seconds. We can’t tell students not to use it while using it ourselves”.
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