A survey conducted by the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) reveals that more than half of UK undergraduates, numbering over 1,000 participants, acknowledge consulting artificial intelligence programs to aid in their essay-writing endeavors. The study also sheds light on schools experimenting with AI integration in classrooms.

According to Hepi's findings, 53% of undergraduates are utilizing AI to generate content for assignments that contribute to their grades. Among them, one in four students use applications such as Google Bard or ChatGPT to propose topics, while one in eight leverages these tools to create content. Notably, only 5% admit to directly copying and pasting unedited AI-generated text into their assessments.

Educators are also exploring AI applications to streamline their responsibilities. The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) has initiated a research project in secondary schools, investigating AI's potential in generating lesson plans, teaching materials, exams, and model answers.

Dr. Andres Guadamuz, a reader in intellectual property law at the University of Sussex, emphasizes the need for institutions to openly discuss the optimal use of AI as a study tool. He expresses concerns about students being unaware of the potential for inaccuracies in AI-generated content and advocates for educators to address this issue directly.

Guadamuz notes that some students are unaware of how often AI "hallucinates," inventing statistics, academic citations, or book titles to fill perceived gaps. To address this, he suggests establishing clear guidelines, policies, and more challenging assessments. However, he acknowledges the challenges in implementing these changes due to resource constraints and academic workloads.

The EEF's proposal envisions AI as a tool to alleviate teachers' workload burdens and enhance the quality of their teaching. Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, envisions AI handling the "heavy lifting" of tasks such as marking and lesson planning for teachers.

In the EEF's project, 58 schools in England will be involved, with half of them receiving a toolkit to create assessment materials and tailor lessons using AI-generated content. Independent experts will evaluate the effectiveness of AI-generated lesson plans.

Prof Becky Francis, the chief executive of the EEF, emphasizes the anticipation surrounding how AI technology could transform teaching roles. The trial is expected to contribute valuable insights into the actual impact of AI on teaching practices.

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