“Ed Daniels develops AI application to prevent essay-writing bot usage and combat academic dishonesty”

Ed Daniels student of Bristol University has taken a proactive approach to addressing academic dishonesty by developing an artificial intelligence (AI) application aimed at preventing the use of essay-writing bots.

Essay-writing bots are automated software programs that generate essays or other written assignments based on predetermined algorithms, templates, or even pre-written text. These bots can be purchased online and are often used by students to cheat on assignments, especially in courses with large class sizes where instructors may be less likely to notice plagiarism.

“Ed Daniels develops AI program using natural language processing and machine learning to detect essay-writing bot usage and prevent academic dishonesty”

The student, Ed Daniels who has chosen to remain anonymous, recognized the prevalence of cheating through essay-writing bots and saw an opportunity to use technology to combat it. The student worked hard for months and created an AI program that can recognize if an essay was written by a bot or a human.

The application applies natural language processing and machine learning algorithms to study essays and figure out if they were written by a bot or a person. The program compares the writing style, grammar, and syntax of the essay against a database of known bot-generated texts to identify potential instances of cheating. If the app detects that an essay was written by a bot, it flags the assignment for further review by the instructor.

This app has the power to decrease cheating in academic environments, which can harm both students and institutions. Cheating damages the honesty of the academic system, hurts universities’ reputation, and deprives students of the opportunity to enhance their abilities.

The fact that the student Ed Daniels created this AI program is proof that technology can tackle actual problems and better the quality of education.By using machine learning and natural language processing to detect cheating through essay-writing bots, this app has the potential to promote academic honesty and fairness in education.

Ed Daniels’ creation of AI app to combat AI-powered essay-writing bots

Ed Daniels, a 22-year-old student at Bristol University, has established a software start-up called AIED.UK. His inspiration for this venture stemmed from a university project that required him to incorporate AI into education.

In response to the proliferation of AI-powered essay-writing bots, Ed Daniels created an app that can identify whether an essay has been generated by such technology. His motivation was to safeguard the integrity of the education system, which he felt was under threat due to the popularity of ChatGPT.

Ed Daniels, described his app as using “fire to fight fire”, likening it to a defensive mechanism. The most advanced models of essay-writing bots are typically only available for purchase, such as GPT-4 which costs £20 per month and offers enhanced functionality.

Ed Daniels, ‘ app is a potential solution to cheating through the use of AI-generated essays, which undermines academic integrity and can lead to unfair advantages for some students. By detecting and flagging such essays, Daniels’ app has the potential to prevent the use of AI-powered bots for academic dishonesty, thereby promoting fairness and accountability in education.

Ed Daniels, stated I have noticed that some individuals who engage in cheating are aware of the existence of cheat detection mechanisms and are sharing information online on how to bypass them. They believe that their agility as smaller entities gives them an advantage over larger companies. I have viewed these videos and gained knowledge from them too.  And also mentioned that his software employs AI to identify instances where AI technology has been utilized, with the aim of addressing inequality in academic environments.

Ed Daniels, wanted to develop this software to avoid some individuals having an unjust advantage over others by using technology that is not available to everyone. Daniels stressed how crucial it is to establish an equal opportunity for everyone in education so that all can thrive.

Ed Daniels, considers AIED.UK as a temporary measure to curb cheating while universities adjust to evolving technologies.

In describing the functionality of the software, Daniels highlighted that computers are becoming increasingly proficient at detecting patterns, such as the use of identical phrases or words, which could indicate the use of a bot-generated essay

According to Daniels, the app’s technology is designed to identify deviations from typical human writing and speaking patterns. He said that human language isn’t always foreseeable. So, if the app can correctly guess the next word in a text, it’s probable that a bot wrote it.

Despite receiving criticism from some of his peers, Daniels stated that he enjoys the comparisons to “the guy that told the teachers the homework was due,” as it allows him to embrace a “villainous” persona.

Although Daniels was primarily responsible for the development of AIED.UK, he received financial support from Runway, the University of Bristol’s student start-up incubator. Mark Neild, the programme director at Runway, expressed excitement about the potential of Daniels’ software and the rapidly expanding market it aims to serve. He added that Runway is committed to assisting Daniels in building his skills and expanding his innovative software

Some additional points that could be included in this article are:

• Academic dishonesty is a widespread problem in higher education, and the use of essay-writing bots is just one form of cheating that has become increasingly prevalent in recent years.

• A number of universities have implemented measures to combat cheating, such as using plagiarism detection software like Turnitin, but these tools are not always effective at detecting essays generated by bots.

• AIED.UK is an example of how AI technology can be used to address the very problem that it has created. As AI-powered essay-writing bots become more sophisticated, it may be necessary to develop more advanced AI tools to detect them.

• The use of AI in education is a growing field, with applications ranging from personalized learning to educational chatbots. Like any technology, there are valid concerns about the potential negative consequences of cheat detection mechanisms. One such concern is that it could further exacerbate existing inequalities between privileged and underprivileged students..

• The development of AIED.UK also raises questions about the role of universities in promoting academic integrity. There is a viewpoint that suggests that universities hold an obligation to educate their students on the ethical utilization of technology and to foster an environment of sincerity and moral principles.

In Conclusion

The Bristol University student’s innovative solution to tackle cheating through essay-writing bots is a noteworthy development that could have far-reaching implications for academic integrity. This app could potentially change the way cheating is detected and addressed in academic institutions, ultimately promoting fairness and accountability in education.