My friend and I both used ChatGPT for our essays. He failed, I didn’t. What should I do?
Written by Ryan B.
“My friend and I are in different sections of the same English class. We both used ChatGPT to write our essays, which were both on the same topic. My friend just got busted for plagiarism, and failed the project, but I got an A on the essay. What should I do?”
It’s understandable that you’re feeling conflicted in this situation. There exists a dilemma in both the perspective of a student and a friend, and neither of them has a simple answer. Firstly, you’ve violated academic integrity, and you got away with it, which in it of itself is an ethical dilemma. On top of it though, your friend got caught for doing the exact same thing. Double dilemma. By exploiting AI to get an undeserving grade, you’ve ended up potentially compromising your friendship and definitely your academic integrity. So, what should you do now?
Stepping away from the use of AI in this scenario, it is important to first address the potential conflict in friendship that may arise from your friend getting caught for committing a wrongdoing and not you. On one hand, reporting your use of AI would show your loyalty to your friend; on the other hand, doing nothing can be seen as betrayal, ditching your friend who must face the consequences of academic dishonesty alone. However, it’s possible that your friend might not even care, or might even be relieved that you avoided trouble. You’ll never really know unless you have an open and honest conversation with your friend about your decision and its implications. In addition to your friend’s opinion, however, there lies an inherent issue in the use of ChatGPT to write an essay in the first place.
While ChatGPT can be a valuable resource for generating ideas, overcoming writer’s block, or refining language, it’s crucial to acknowledge the boundaries of its use in academic contexts. Most educational institutions, including ours, have policies against the use of generative AI tools, and it’s understandable, given how it unfairly automates what’s meant to be your own personal work. These academic policies exist so that teachers can equally assess each students’ authentic work, which is especially crucial in a class like English, where one’s personal voice establishes the core essence of one’s writing. By using AI to write your entire essay, you’ve forfeited the critical learning process and have deprived yourself of the primary reason for writing: to express your own unique voice and style.
It is understandable to think that ratting yourself out would be an act of self-sabotage. After all, an academic integrity violation comes with very strict implications, such as the school potentially informing prospective colleges, so why would you confess after getting away with it? As hard as it may be, turning yourself in is an act of integrity. It’s about aligning your actions and values with the true goal of education, which is centered in pursuit of knowledge. Therefore, despite the potential repercussions of turning yourself in, it remains a gesture of fairness not only to your friend who has been penalized for the same violation as you, but also to yourself in achieving a more authentic and honest education experience, beyond just the excellence in grades. Think of it as self-improvement, not self-sabotage. Additionally, if it’s your first academic integrity violation, perhaps you can request an opportunity for reassessment considering your demonstration of honesty and integrity in coming clean. All things considered, not only does turning yourself in give you a learning opportunity, but you also might be granted a reassessment opportunity, which minimizes the possible negative implications of your confession.
There’s no doubt that AI will continue to advance, more deeply integrating into our everyday lives. With AI increasingly weaving itself into academics and educational learning, we need to ensure that it is used in a manner that enriches learning while upholding the individuality of each person’s writing. While the decision to turn yourself in is challenging, it embodies the principles of honesty and fairness; it’s a step towards fostering an ethical academic environment, and is only fair to your friend, regardless of whether or not they enforce that decision.
