Khaberni - A student at the University of California, Los Angeles caused a stir after boasting during his graduation ceremony about using artificial intelligence technologies, especially ChatGPT, to help him perform his final exams.
This moment was captured during the live broadcast of the graduation ceremony held at "Pauley Pavilion" earlier this month, and the clip was later reposted on Instagram and X platforms, where it garnered millions of views.
In the short video displayed on the giant screen, the student Andre May, who specializes in computational and systems biology, was seen holding his laptop displaying large amounts of text generated by artificial intelligence, which he said he used to pass his final tests.
May passionately scrolled through these proofs on his screen, while his fellow graduates cheered him on in the background, as he silently mouthed, "Let's go!!!!!!".
The video did not receive acceptance from many online viewers, as many considered this incident to reflect a decline in academic and ethical standards.
However, others defended the student, arguing that his use of artificial intelligence was not cheating but a demonstration of his ability to effectively use available tools to achieve what was required of him, proving that he would deliver similar results in the real world.
For his part, May explained in a video he posted on Instagram what was actually on his computer screen, noting that he used ChatGPT to assist in two complex final exams, one due at 5 p.m. and another at midnight.
May said: "I was finalizing all the documentation I had ever done for my machine learning lab, and I had to use artificial intelligence to summarize the key equations I would use in the last test I would take in my university career".
May added that this was not cheating because he got approval from his professors, saying: "My professors really encouraged the use of artificial intelligence, so much so when the giant screen team came, I flipped my screen and showed them what I was doing, and I never imagined all this exciting attention".
May continued that he used artificial intelligence technologies in many ways as a university student, from understanding operating systems and computer networks to selecting the best DJ equipment.
Nevertheless, technology experts remain concerned about the widespread use of artificial intelligence in classrooms. According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, about 26% of teenage students used ChatGPT to assist them in school assignments in 2024, compared to only 13% in 2023.
Some studies suggest that using ChatGPT to complete assignments may lead to a decline in cognitive skills. A concerning study conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) found that students using ChatGPT to complete essays had weaker cognitive skills compared to those relying only on their mental abilities.
