ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered conversational chatbot created by US research lab OpenAI, is among electronic items students are prohibited from taking with them inside the examination hall for CBSE’s class 10 and 12 board exams that began on Wednesday.
“Mobile, ChatGPT and other electronic items will not be allowed in the examination hall,” read a set of instructions issued by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on the eve of the board exams, for which more than 38 lakh students are scheduled to appear.
A senior board official said the AI chatbot has been banned so that ‘unfair means are not used.’
This is, however, not the first instance of ChatGPT being banned to prevent it from being used in academic activities. In January, Bengaluru’s RV University disallowed the use of the chatbot on the campus, adding that surprise checks will also be conducted to ensure that the order is being fully complied with.
Schools and colleges in the United States – in New York City & Seattle – have directed students not to use the software tool. In France, Sciences Po, a university, has warned students will be expelled if found using the software.
Since its launch in November last year, ChatGPT has helped a student pass his university exam in just twenty minutes, while the bot itself passed a US law school exam. This is because it is capable of generating speeches, songs, news articles, essays, based on the input given to it.
