French university Sciences Po bans use of ChatGPT

Sciences Po, one of the best universities in France, banned the use of ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence-based chatbot, to prevent fraud and plagiarism.

ChatGPT is a free program that generates original text on virtually any topic in response to a question. The tool is capable of producing articles, essays, jokes and even poetry, which has generated debates in academia about plagiarism.

The university said on Friday (27) that it forwarded to all students and staff a statement banning ChatGPT and all other tools based on artificial intelligence.

“Without a transparent reference, students are prohibited from using the software for the production of any work or presentation, except in cases of specific purposes, under the supervision of the course leader”, determined Sciences Po, without specifying how it will monitor the decision. .

ChatGPT has already been banned in some public schools in the cities of New York and Seattle, in the United States, according to press reports, and several North American universities have announced plans for students to do less homework and more handwritten essays and oral exams.

Sciences Po, whose main campus is in Paris, added that the punishment for using the software could go as far as expelling the student from the university or even from French higher education as a whole.

“ChatGPT is raising important questions for educators and researchers around the world about fraud in general and plagiarism in particular,” the university said.

Microsoft last week announced a multibillion-dollar investment in OpenAI, the artificial intelligence lab that created ChatGPT — expanding on a bet it made nearly four years ago, when it invested $1 billion in the startup co-founded by Tesla chairman Elon. Musk, and investor Sam Altman.