The emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been inspiring and alarming in equal measure. Along with the exciting potential that AI offers in many different fields, there are also potential problems lurking on the horizon. One of these is the potential for chatbot-generated content to plagiarize, which could be of particular concern for students.

In a recent study conducted by a research team at Penn State, the first direct examination of this problem was undertaken. The team found that text created by language models in response to user prompts can be plagiarized in several ways.

Firstly, the chatbots themselves can be programmed to take existing text and repurpose it, lifting passages from various sources over the internet. Additionally, the way in which language models function can lead to new text being created which closely resembles existing content. This could lead to unintentional plagiarism, as the original intent was not to copy but rather to generate new text.

The issues of AI-assisted plagiarism are particularly acute for students who may be tempted to use a chatbot to help them with their studies. This could be anything from an essay to an online test, but the plagiarism implications remain the same. In this case, it is essential that any content generated by a chatbot is fully checked and verified to make sure it is original. It is also important to fully understand the nuances of using chatbot technology and any potential risks.

Thus, it is clear that students should think twice before using a chatbot to complete any assignment. By doing thorough research and taking all the necessary precautions, students can ensure that the content they produce is original and compliant to all appropriate guidelines.