Brown University Professor Accuses Class of Cheating via AI
What? Roberto Serrano, an economics professor at Brown University, accused many in his class of using artificial intelligence to cheat on their take-home midterm. Though the class historically averaged between 65% and 80%, these students averaged 96%. When he then made the final in-person, the average score dropped to 48.6%—more than 15% lower than previous class’s final averages.
So What? Serrano’s concern highlights growing worry that the next generation is using AI to coast through college. In a recent study from UC Berkeley, 26% of daily AI users admitted to using AI to cheat—a conservative number that assumes no participant in the study lied.
Now What? When talking to your kids about this issue, you’ll probably want to highlight honesty and integrity. But parents would do also well to warn their children against taking the easy way out: If someone cheats in school and then takes on a job that directly affects others (such as jobs in medicine, law or finance), the outcomes could be dire.
European Union Warns Meta to Cut Addictive Elements
What? The European Union claimed on July 9 that certain features on Meta’s Facebook and Instagram apps were addictive, including “autoplay, infinite scroll and highly personalized content recommendations.” The EU says it will impose a fine amounting to up to 6% of Meta’s global annual turnover should the company fail to make changes to its reportedly addictive model.
So What? In the U.S., 29 states have likewise issued a lawsuit against Meta for similar reasons. The American Psychological Association says that infinite scrolling isn’t good for us. And Stanford psychiatrist Anna Lembke compares ever-present social media apps to drugs, calling them a “digital needle.”
Now What? Change starts at the personal level. Families shouldn’t wait for governments to advocate and force updates to make these products safer. For a good place to start, check out our guides to installing parental controls on a variety of apps and streaming services!
OpenAI CEO Says Some Users Desire ChatGPT ‘Yes Man’ Model
What? Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, noted that despite his company’s efforts to reduce ChatGPT’s AI sycophancy, feedback from many users requested a return to the AI’s older GPT-4o, “yes man” model. He noted that some people preferred the former conversation style because they’d “never had anyone in [their] life be supportive of [them].”
So What? Studies tell us that one in five American teens use AI for mental health advice. Altman himself has previously raised concerns about people becoming too dependent on AI for emotional support and decision-making.
Now What? AI’s constant affirmation may make us feel good, but it also fails to challenge us to grow. If you use AI to ask for advice, consider bringing those same questions to trusted family members and friends—and prompting your AI model to give more critical feedback, too.
Recent Comments