Latest news with #Stapleton
Perth Now
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Aussies battle it out for free flights
Aussies have stormed a quiet neighbourhood park in medieval get-up in an epic battle to win $50k worth of free flights. Eight contestants chosen from the ultimate costume contest geared up to compete in a Live Action Role Play (LARP) event 'Knight of the Skies' in a bid to win a free trip, or a few, in celebration of Jetstar's 21st birthday. Contestants fought to win $50k free flights in a massive LARP battle for Jetstar's 21st birthday. NewsWire / Valeriu Campan Credit: News Corp Australia The eight were split into two teams, Team Jet and Team Star – to wield battle alongside long-time LARP warriors from Australia's largest LARPing organisation, Swordcraft. The event was co-hosted with Swordcraft – biggest LARPing organisation in Australia. NewsWire / Valeriu Campan Credit: News Corp Australia With $50k worth of free flights on the line, no one held back, and insane battle scenes roared out on the quiet Saturday morning. Puzzles, politics, and full on battle all ensued in the crisp Melbourne air at Edinburgh Garden, North Fitzroy as the LARPers fought it out. People were pommeled to the ground, hit over the head with swords, kicked and punched – all in the name of good old medieval fun. Aussies had to face up against ogres, Vikings and everything in between for a shot at the free flights. Credit: Supplied They will be split into two teams to wield battle alongside long-time LARP warriors from Australia's largest LARPing organisation, Swordcraft. Australian comedian and radio star Liam Stapleton is playing the role of Jetstar birthday host and LARP wizard himself, joining in on the action this Saturday. 'The folks from Jetstar reached out and look, it's not too far from a stretch, like I dress up and chase my wife around as Shrek and that sort of stuff on the weekend, so I've never done LARPing before though, but I felt like I was the right man for the job,' Stapleton told NewsWire. Liam Stapleton led the massive LARPing group. NewsWire / Valeriu Campan Credit: News Corp Australia Radio and TV star Stapleton said impressions and role-play have been a big part of his career. 'It's something I've done like since I was a kid … and it's led to fun opportunities like this. Like now I'm dressed as a wizard in a park speaking to you.' Radio and TV star Liam Stapleton will also be trying his hand in medieval battle. Credit: Supplied The event centres around 21 being the age of knighthood in medieval times, and everyone is dressed the part with knights, fire mages, goblins, alchemists and everything in between. 'When you work in radio, you are always afraid of the axe. But this is, you know, today I'm afraid of real axes because people have that sort of weaponry,' Stapleton said. There was a variety of weaponry, each deadlier than the last. NewsWire / Valeriu Campan Credit: News Corp Australia If he wins, Stapleton said he would love to fly to Japan. 'Top of the list. Yeah. It's somewhere I've always wanted to go … I've heard cherry blossom season is the time, it's literally like the top of my wife's and myself's bucket list. So that's where I'd love to go.' But Stapleton is not sure about his chances of winning. 'Look, I'm an optimistic man, but there is some genuine giants. LARPers were very well prepared in their medieval armour. NewsWire / Valeriu Campan Credit: News Corp Australia 'There's some people who are like dressers giants and there's other people who are like, no, you are actually seven foot. 'There's some intimidating looking figures with proper armour. I'm wearing basically a dressing gown. So I don't know how we're going to go.' Stapleton did not win – Team 'Jet' emerged victorious, and four lucky winners won the ultimate $50k prize – Genevieve Maisey, Cameron Riches, Nicole Brownlie and Julian Dods. Four lucky Aussies walked away with $50k in free flights, to share. NewsWire / Valeriu Campan Credit: News Corp Australia Either way, Swordcraft head of advertising Lou Harwood is glad more people got to take part in LARPing and hopes the contestants enjoyed the medieval role-play. 'The rush you get when you're in combat is like nothing else. So if they even if they don't win, if they just come away, just feeling excited, having had given it a go, that's a win in our books,' she told NewsWire. Ms Harwood said she is glad more people have been able to experience LARPing. Credit: Supplied 'I've really found my chosen family in this crew. And I wouldn't give them up for anything in the world. 'We're so grateful for the opportunity to show off lap to the wider community and get people to see how much fun it can be.'
Newsweek
16-05-2025
- Newsweek
College Students Want Their Money Back After Professor Caught Using ChatGPT
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A student at Northeastern University has called for her tuition fees to be refunded after she discovered that one of her professors was using ChatGPT to respond to her work. The professor asked the chatbot to create some "really nice feedback" for the student, despite many in the education sector calling on students to stop using artificial intelligence for work, according to a report from The New York Times. Why It Matters As artificial intelligence becomes more and more prevalent in the education system, the double standard in AI use between faculty and students is being challenged. Normally, it's the students who are being criticized for using generative AI on assignments, but this latest incident has shown that professors are not infallible either. What To Know In February, Ella Stapleton, a senior at Northeastern University's business school, noticed that her assignment notes from her professor appeared to include direct queries from a conversation with ChatGPT. One prompt in the notes read, "expand on all areas. Be more detailed and specific," followed by descriptions and bullet points typical of AI-generated text, according to The New York Times. Other class materials included distorted images, misspelled text, and other prompts, all of which are clear signs of AI usage. However, Stapleton's business major explicitly ruled out the use of unauthorized AI and other "academically dishonest activities," leading Stapleton to file a formal complaint against the professor. Weber Arch and University Hall at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, April 2016. Weber Arch and University Hall at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, April 2016. Getty Images It's not the first time AI has had growing pains when introduced to the education system. A report from January this year revealed that almost 90 percent of academics believe the majority of their students use AI regularly, with generative AI being the most common. C. Edward Watson, vice president for digital innovation at the American Association of Colleges and Universities, described the breakthroughs in Large Language Models (LLMS), which includes generative interfaces like ChatGPT, as an "inflection point" in U.S. education, warning: "The challenge now is turning today's disruption into tomorrow's innovation in teaching and learning" What People Are Saying Lee Rainie, director of Elon University's Imagining the Digital Future Center, said in a report on academic reactions to the use of AI: "The overall takeaway from these leaders is that they are working to make sense of the changes they confront and looking over the horizon at a new AI-infused world they think will be better for almost everyone in higher education. "They clearly feel some urgency to effect change, and they hope the grand reward is revitalized institutions that serve their students and civilization well." What Happens Next Academic institutions are still deciding on the best way to approach AI being used by both students and staff, while the technology itself continues to reach new developments.
Time of India
16-05-2025
- Time of India
Caught red-handed using AI: Student demands tuition fee refund after spotting ChatGPT-generated content in professor's notes
A Northeastern University graduate demanded a $8,000 (₹6.8 lakh) tuition refund after catching her professor secretly using ChatGPT to create class notes—despite warning students not to do the same. From bizarre AI-generated images to telltale typos, Ella Stapleton uncovered what she called a breach of academic trust. The case, though dismissed, has reignited a fiery debate over AI's growing—and controversial—role in higher education. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Professor vs. Policy Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The professor in question, Rick Arrowood, later admitted to using a trio of AI tools—ChatGPT, the Perplexity AI search engine, and Gamma, an AI-based presentation maker—to prepare course materials. Complaint Dismissed, Lesson Still Echoes The Ironic Twist of AI Adoption Ella Stapleton expected a premium education at Northeastern University—one that would justify the hefty ₹6.8 lakh ($8,000) she paid in tuition. What she didn't anticipate was discovering her professor using ChatGPT to craft course content, even as students were discouraged from doing the same. What followed was a formal complaint, a digital paper trail, and a sharp debate about AI in to The New York Times , the controversy began when Stapleton spotted several glaring red flags in the lecture materials: a suspicious 'ChatGPT' citation tucked into the bibliography, numerous typos, and even bizarre AI-generated images where human figures had extra limbs. Her gut feeling screamed something was off. A quick message to a classmate confirmed the suspicion.'Did you see the notes he put on Canvas? He made it with ChatGPT,' Stapleton texted. The stunned reply came instantly: 'OMG Stop. What the hell?'The professor in question, Rick Arrowood, later admitted to using a trio of AI tools—ChatGPT, the Perplexity AI search engine, and Gamma, an AI-based presentation maker—to prepare course materials. While not illegal, this use of AI triggered questions of transparency and academic integrity , particularly when the professor had discouraged students from using similar tools for their own assignments.'He's telling us not to use it, and then he's using it himself,' Stapleton pointed out, branding the hypocrisy as unacceptable in a university of Northeastern's university's AI policy is clear: any faculty member or student using AI-generated content must properly attribute its use, especially when it's part of a scholarly submission. The lack of such attribution, coupled with what Stapleton saw as subpar and automated instruction, led her to demand a full tuition rounds of meetings, Northeastern University rejected Stapleton's refund request. Professor Arrowood expressed regret, admitting, 'In hindsight… I wish I would have looked at it more closely. If my experience can be something people can learn from, then OK, that's my happy spot.'Still, the case has opened up a broader conversation: where should the line be drawn when it comes to educators using AI tools in the classroom?ChatGPT, launched in late 2022, rapidly became a household name—especially among students who embraced it for everything from essays to study guides. Ironically, as universities raced to restrict or regulate student use of AI, educators have been slower to publicly navigate their own ethical incident at Northeastern reflects a new dilemma in the digital age: if AI can empower students and educators alike, can it also redefine the very value of a college education? For Ella Stapleton, the answer was crystal clear—and cost exactly $8,000.
India Today
16-05-2025
- India Today
Student demands money back after finding tuition teacher is using ChatGPT to write notes
When ChatGPT arrived in late 2022, educators around the world, from schools and colleges, started to worry about AI-assisted cheating. Teachers began restricting their students from using AI tools. No ChatGPT for homework. No AI-generated essays. Students have been told that submit original work, or else the results will not be pretty. But what if teachers use ChatGPT? Well, in a flipping twist, a student from Northeastern University in the US caught her teacher using ChatGPT to write notes. And now the student is asking for her tuition money back. Yes, you read that right. While students are being punished for using AI, now students are applying the same rules to teachers and holding them to no-AI use to the New York Times, this particular case of AI use was highlighted by Ella Stapleton, a business student at Northeastern, who caught her teacher taking help from AI tools to write notes for his students. Earlier this year in February, when Ella Stapleton was combing through lecture notes from her organisational behaviour class, she noticed something models of leadership in the lecture notes and the usual academic jargon, she spotted a prompt directed to ChatGPT. The instruction read, 'expand on all areas. Be more detailed and specific.' 'I was like, wait... did my professor just copy-paste a ChatGPT response?' Stapleton told the spotting this AI prompt was just the beginning. After sensing something fishy in the language of the notes, Stapleton reportedly went full detective mode, digging through slide decks and assignments, only to uncover more evidence of artificial assistance. She found AI-generated images, complete with extra fingers, distorted fonts, and even the cost of education and the reputation of the college, Stapleton was clearly not amused at this behaviour from her teacher. Given that students were asked not to use AI assistance, she filed a formal complaint with the business school and requested reimbursement of tuition for that class, amounting to more than $8,000. 'He's telling us not to use it, and then he's using it himself,' she told the Stapleton is not the only student who is questioning their teachers and demanding human education. On sites like Rate My Professors, many students are calling out faculty for lazy AI-generated slides, robotic feedback, and lectures that feel like ChatGPT's inner while professors are restricting students from using AI so the students can learn real skills and stop cheating, they are arguing in favour of their own use, saying that AI tools help them manage workloads and streamline content. This has sparked a debate on broader transparency in education with students demanding that their teachers should also be made to disclose whenever they are preparing class notes with help of ChatGPT and other AI tools.
Time of India
16-05-2025
- Time of India
Northeastern University student demands tuition refund after discovering professor used ChatGPT
Representative image (Picture credit: AP) A student at Northeastern University demanded a tuition refund after discovering that her professor had used AI tools like ChatGPT to create class materials, despite a course policy banning unauthorised use of such technology. Ella Stapleton, a senior at the time, was reviewing lecture notes for her organisational behaviour class when she noticed an instruction addressed to ChatGPT in the document. According to The New York Times, the material included phrases like 'expand on all areas' and showed common signs of AI-generated content, such as awkward phrasing, distorted images, and even typos that mirrored machine output. 'He's telling us not to use it, and then he's using it himself,' Stapleton was quoted as saying The Times. She lodged a formal complaint with the university's business school, citing her professor's undisclosed use of AI and other concerns with his teaching. She requested a refund of over $8,000, the cost of the course. The professor, Rick Arrowood, later acknowledged that he had used ChatGPT, Perplexity AI, and the AI presentation tool Gamma to refresh his materials. 'In hindsight… I wish I would have looked at it more closely,' Arrowood said. He also admitted that the AI-generated content was flawed and noted he hadn't used those materials in class discussions, which were held in person. After a series of meetings, Northeastern rejected Stapleton's refund request. A spokesperson for the university was quoted by the Fortune saying that Northeastern 'embraces the use of artificial intelligence to enhance all aspects of its teaching, research, and operations,' adding that it enforces policies requiring attribution and accuracy checks when using AI-generated content. This incident has become part of a wider debate in higher education, where students are increasingly criticising professors for using AI tools. While many universities restrict students from using ChatGPT and similar tools in coursework, professors are now facing scrutiny for doing the same. Some students argue that they are paying to be taught by humans, not algorithms they could access for free. Stapleton's complaint is not isolated. Other students, like one at Southern New Hampshire University, found their professor had used ChatGPT to grade essays and generate feedback, causing the student to feel 'wronged' and later transfer schools, The Times reported. Paul Shovlin, an English professor at Ohio University, acknowledged students' frustrations but said using AI to draft slides or notes was comparable to relying on published teaching aids. Still, he emphasised the need for transparency, 'It's the human connections that we forge with students... that add value,' he said.
