Student boasts of using AI for assignments, sparks backlash

The Sun

10-05-2025

WHILE artificial intelligence (AI) is indeed useful in our daily lives for a multitude of reasons, particularly in our studies, over-reliance on it can affect students' essential human skills and future capabilities in the workforce.
A student studying at a university in Sarawak recently bragged about using AI to complete their assignments, even claiming to have achieved high scores.
'I pity the lecturers, especially the boomers. They try so hard to give us numerous assignments, even last-minute ones, but it's no trouble for us at all,' the student said in an anonymous confession on Facebook.
Furthermore, the student alleged that their lecturers were unaware of students using AI tools such as ChatGPT, DeepSeek, and Google Gemini.
'We can just close our eyes and complete these assignments in a day with the help of ChatGPT Premium, DeepSeek, and Google Gemini.
'The assignments turn out so well — even complete with citations and references.
'It's kind of sad that they can't outplay us,' the student added.
The post did not sit well with netizens, who criticised the student for their lack of effort and raised concerns about their readiness for the workforce after graduation.
Meanwhile, others agreed that while AI can be used as a guide for completing assignments, students should still develop essential skills during their university years — such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and research skills — which are highly valued by employers.
One user also pointed out that the well-known plagiarism detection tool, Turnitin is now capable of identifying AI-generated content in students' assignments, noting that lecturers are already 'a step ahead'.
'We lecturers know that students are using these AI tools. We're aware of the tricks you try to pull, and sometimes, we just want to see how well you use them,' a netizen commented.
'It's good that you manage to submit assignments on time and get superb marks, but in the real world, AI won't help you handle workplace stress, understand employers' instructions, or deliver results based on the few real skills you have,' another user wrote.
'All of a sudden, I feel proud of myself for completing my assignments without using AI,' another chimed in.