Academic dishonesty has existed in high schools, middle schools, and universities for decades. Cheating on assignments and subsequently lying about cheating has been an ongoing problem countless schools have had to face. However, within the past few years, with the evolution of artificial intelligence, there has been an uptick in cheating incidents.
In the modern age of technology, it has never been easier to find information online. The increased accessibility to the internet and artificial intelligence (AI) has only increased the temptation for students to take shortcuts on assignments. One of the more popular resources is ChatGPT. It is free web-based AI software available to anyone with various subscriptions that allege better outcomes.
Common ways students use ChatGPT ranges from completing straight forward math homework to having the program generate ideas for English essays. In a perfect world, students would go to their teachers for guidance in times of need; however, when they procrastinate or forget they have an assignment, ChatGPT can become a lifeline.
At MBS, the Honor Statement is clearly displayed in every classroom. Ronnie Schrier ‘26 said, “I have never cheated. I have never cheated on a test, nor have I ever technically used Google to search up an answer before I already did it.” He continued, “I would do [the problem] and then Google it to check my work if I had no answer key. But only for math or Chemistry or Biology.” Ellie Pine ‘25 said, “I’ve used ChatGPT on homework before if I’m confused and need help finishing it. There have also been times where I ask a friend for answers if I’m still super confused after going to ChatGPT.”
At MBS, when students are caught cheating and or being dishonest about their credibility for their work, students are sent to Mr. Tim Hannigan, the Associate Upper School Academic Dean, among others including their Class Dean. Mr. Hannigan believes that cheating is derived from students panicking. He said, “almost every single case I dealt with back then [before he was in his current role] and this year has almost all come down to kids panicking. They didn’t give themselves enough time, or it’s one of those weeks before breaks where everything is due at the same time.” He continued, “It’s almost never an intentional planned out thing where it’s ‘I’m just not going to do this, I’m going to use AI,’ and it’s sometimes just ‘I ran out of time.’ A lot of the time it’s just kids not giving themselves enough time and feeling overwhelmed.”
Mr. Hannigan has, however, noticed that lately there has been a decline of cheating instances at MBS. Teachers are actively combating these new types of plagiarism. He said, for example, “The English department is doing more conferencing with their students. To make sure that students are supported, to make sure that the faculty have seen the work as it is developing, so there is less of an opportunity and probably less of a drive to try to cheat.”
This doesn’t mean that academic dishonesty has disappeared altogether. Mr. Hannigan said, “AI makes [cheating] more complex because it’s untraceable. There is no archive of everything ChatGPT has ever said so you can’t go back to that. It comes down to ‘Does this look like something that is beyond the capability of a 9th grader?’”
The consequences of cheating at MBS depend on how serious the offense is and how often the person has cheated. The first time, the student gets a verbal warning, especially if the student comes clean. Mr. Hannigan said that this step “is a verbal warning with the idea that if they’re never in this office again for academic integrity, it’s a warning. Kids are going to make mistakes, and they deserve a little bit of grace.” However, according to the Family Handbook, this first offense is typically followed by a “significant academic consequence to be determined by the department chair.”
For a second offense, Mr. Hannigan said, “depending on the age of the student and the severity, that’s what leads to potentially suspension. According to the Family Handbook, this second offense, “in addition to the academic consequences, students may also be subject to disciplinary consequences, including but not limited to disciplinary probation, disciplinary warning, suspension, or expulsion.”
While there have been a small number of cheating incidents on larger assignments, such as tests or projects, students tend to cheat more often on smaller assignments. The MBS community has seen an overall decline in cheating, but it still exists.
