3 days ago
Why ChatGPT essays still fail to fool experts despite good structure, although they are clear and well structured
The advent of AI has marked the rise of many tools, and ChatGPT is one of the most popular ones. Often used for research and writing, this tool has often been the centre of discussion for its ability to fetch interesting content.
However, A new study from the University of East Anglia (UEA) in the UK shows that essays written by real students are still better than those produced by ChatGPT, a popular AI writing tool. Researchers compared 145 essays written by university students with 145 essays generated by ChatGPT to see how well the AI can mimic human writing. The study found that although ChatGPT's essays are clear, well structured, and grammatically correct, they lack something important. The AI essays do not show personal insight or deep critical thinking, which are common in student writing. These missing elements make the AI-generated essays feel less engaging and less convincing.
However, the researchers do not see AI only as a threat. They believe tools like ChatGPT can be helpful in education if used properly. Instead of shortcuts to finish assignments, AI should be a tool that supports learning and improves writing skills. After all, education is about teaching students how to think clearly and express ideas. These are things no AI can truly replace.
One key difference the researchers looked at was how the writers engage readers. Real student essays often include questions, personal comments, and direct appeals to the reader. These techniques help make the writing feel more interactive and persuasive. On the other hand, ChatGPT's essays tend to avoid questions and personal opinions. They follow academic rules but do not show a clear viewpoint or emotional connection.
Professor Ken Hyland from UEA explained that the AI focuses on creating text that is logical and smooth but misses conversational details that humans use to connect with readers. This shows that AI writing still struggles with capturing the personal style and strong arguments that real people naturally use.
