University of Malta regulations are “robust enough” to deal with students’ abuse of ChatGPT, the university has confirmed.

ChatGPT is a technological tool driven by artificial intelligence that allows users to get answers about a wealth of topics, even in different styles.

In a statement issued to Times of Malta, the university said it “has a working group who is studying the developments of ChatGPT and is consulting with academics to issue a set of guidelines.

“In the meantime, the UM regulations are robust enough to tackle cases of abuse emanating from ChatGPT or ghost-writing by calling the student for an oral examination if there is reasonable doubt about the students’ work,” it said.

In January, Times of Malta reported that the university was holding senior-level meetings to address potential abuse of the technology by students.

It’s time to change and we cannot keep looking towards the past- Alexiei Dingli

The university’s head of English, James Corby, warned that some students would achieve marks “they do not deserve” in exams for the first semester but said academia was taking the issue seriously.

ChatGPT has taken the world by storm since its public release on November 30 last year. Its user base grew to an estimated 100 million by the end of January.

Concern has grown over claims of biases and inaccuracies in ChatGPT’s responses, as well as fears the disruptive technology could lead to job losses in professions such as content-writing and marketing. 

There are also fears that armed with such technology, students may achieve higher marks by farming out assignments to ChatGPT and similar AI services.

Speaking at a Times of Malta event last month, however, professor of artificial intelligence, Alexei Dingli, said he was not worried about his students making use of the software and that educators should consider changing the way assessments are carried out.

“It’s time to change and we cannot keep looking towards the past,” he said.