Emory University, in Atlanta, United States, starred in a unique episode related to advances in the field of artificial intelligence. What happened? The directors of this institution They rewarded two students for the development of an AI tool and then punished themin a clearly abrupt and confusing turn.
University rewards students for AI solution, then accuses them of plagiarism
The crux of the conflict at Emory is Eightball, a tool powered by AI whose usefulness is the conversion of academic work into flashcards, useful for study instances. The place 404 Medium reported that The creators of that system in the first instance were awarded the sum of 10,000 dollars for their development. But within a few weeks, university officials accused them of cheating, plagiarizing, and helping other students violate the institution’s honor code. Thus, Eighthball was decommissioned in November of last year.
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Following the source, there is a relevant detail in this case: the students and creators of the tool presented it in internal competitions and never hid its functions. However, the board that leads Emory University requested one-year suspensions for its institution’s developers and students.
Recently, on May 20, Craver filed suit against Emory University. In the judicial presentation he details how Eightball was created, which even had the support of teachers from that academy. In addition, it is indicated that articles in the internal newspaper promoted the use of the program and that they, the creators, were always transparent about its capabilities.
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“While nothing about Eightball changed, Emory’s vision for it software changed dramatically,” Craver claims in the lawsuit. “Emory acknowledges that there is no evidence that anyone used Eightball to cheat. And to this day, they describe Eightball as an example of innovation and student entrepreneurship,†she notes.
Beyond the details about the program that circulated at Emory, following the review of Engadgetthis case is a demonstration of the conflicts generated by the integration of new AI technologies into everyday life.