Student wins. College accused then-freshman of using AI to write history class essay.
An Adelphi University student who sued the school over what he called a “completely false” allegation that he used artificial intelligence to write an essay has won his case, with a judge ordering the school to reverse the disciplinary measures against him. The Garden City university’s finding that the student, Orion Newby, used AI to commit plagiarism, and its denial of his subsequent appeal were “without valid basis and devoid of reason,” state Supreme Court Judge Randy Sue Marber in Nassau County wrote on Jan. 28. The school must expunge his record, the judge wrote.
Some educators believe AI detection tools are not reliable enough, especially if students could face serious consequences based on their findings. A growing number of colleges have banned the tools.
It’s essential to avoid false accusations, said Jim Samuel, executive director of the Informatics Program at Rutgers University, where he does research on AI. “In most cases, it’s difficult to say with a sufficiently high degree of certainty that a person has used AI,” he said. Even so, he said, “If we don’t do anything about it, and students get the idea that they can just . . . use AI and get a 4.0 GPA and get away with it, that I think would be very counter-productive.