Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

Half of Students Misuse ChatGPT in Ethics Essays

7/4/2025

34 5

Summary

Story summary

At the University of Illinois, Jocelyn Leitzinger discovered a troubling trend: nearly half of her 180 students misused ChatGPT to craft essays on discrimination, frequently citing a fictional victim named Sally. This irony struck her deeply, especially in assignments meant to explore the ethics of AI, raising concerns about the integrity of academic work.

1 of 1

Story summary

At the University of Illinois, Jocelyn Leitzinger discovered a troubling trend: nearly half of her 180 students misused ChatGPT to craft essays on discrimination, frequently citing a fictional victim named Sally. This irony struck her deeply, especially in assignments meant to explore the ethics of AI, raising concerns about the integrity of academic work.