Bristol University student creates app to stop cheats using essay bot

A student says he has developed his own artificial intelligence (AI) app to stop cheats using essay-writing bots.

Ed Daniels, 22, began developing software start-up AIED.UK after a project on his university course asked him to integrate AI with education.

The fourth-year student at Bristol University said that he felt the need to "protect the education system" after ChatGPT became popular.

His app detects if an essay has been generated by the use of AI.

He likened the way it works to "fighting fire with fire".

"Currently the best models of essay-writing bots, you have to pay for. You have to pay £20 a month to get GPT 4 and it is a lot better, so that gives richer students a real advantage," he said.

He said the motivation behind the software, which itself uses AI to detect the use of the technology, is to prevent inequality in academic settings.

"It worries me that some people may not have access to that stuff, so we need to level the playing field," Mr Daniels added.

He said he thinks of AIED.UK as a "transitional phase" to prevent cheating whilst universities adapt to new technologies.

Explaining how the software works, Mr Daniels said: "Computers are getting really good at noticing things, if I'm always saying the exact perfect word next, chances are, that's a bot.

"Normal human writing and speaking don't always use the most predictable word, so the technology in the app effectively notices that if it can predict which word is coming next, a bot has probably written it."

Mr Daniels said that other students have compared him to "the guy that told the teachers the homework was due".

But he said criticism from fellow students does not bother him, adding: "I actually quite like it because it lets me pretend like I'm playing the villain or something."

While the bulk of the work behind AIED.UK was done by Mr Daniels, he has been supported by a grant from the University of Bristol's student start-up incubator, Runway.

Mark Neild, Runway's programme director, said: "This is a rapidly-growing market, so we are keen to help Ed develop his skills and build his exciting software."

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