Under new Department of Education guidelines, Leaving Cert students will be permitted to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools when preparing research projects worth at least 40 per cent of marks on a range of subjects from September. Students will be required to reference use of AI or risk losing all marks, but plagiarism detection has not kept pace with AI so it will be much harder to detect.
In response to the new guidelines, the ASTI has raised important concerns that exam integrity will be compromised by access to artificial intelligence tools.
In a survey of 2,700 ASTI members, 88 per cent of teachers said the new Leaving Cert assessments will create difficulties in relation to the authentication of students’ work. The survey also found that 82 per cent of teachers felt the new assessments will increase students’ workloads and 70 per cent expect the changes will increase stress among students.
Last month The Irish Examiner reported that it was able to use easily accessible AI tools to generate realistic high-quality but completely fictional Leaving Cert research projects online within 30 seconds.
Paul Murphy, People Before Profit TD said, ‘Expensive AI software is even harder and effectively impossible to detect. This will mean that a potential advantage is created for those who can afford to buy expensive AI tools over working-class students who use free tools.
Teachers have highlighted that there is a lack of knowledge and guidance on the use of AI and on the authentication of work submitted by students. The new Minister for Education must engage with the teachers’ unions to ensure that these important issues are addressed before new additional assessment components are introduced for the Leaving Cert. If this cannot be done before September, the changes should be delayed.’