University Student Calls Out Professor For Secretly Using AI Tools

A Northeastern University student demanded her tuition money back after finding her professor secretly used ChatGPT to generate lecture materials and notes.

The New York Times first reported that a Northeastern University student submitted a formal complaint to request tuition reimbursement after discovering her professor used AI tools, including ChatGPT, to generate lecture notes ,without disclosing this to the class

Ella Stapleton, a senior who graduated this year, said she became suspicious when she saw odd details in the class materials. The materials contained AI-generated typos, unusual images of people with extra limbs, and a direct reference to “ChatGPT” in the bibliography.

“He’s telling us not to use it, and then he’s using it himself,” Stapleton told The Times. The class syllabus had clearly banned the unauthorized use of AI. So Stapleton filed a formal complaint and asked for a refund of over $8,000, the cost of the class.

“Given the school’s cost and reputation, I expected a top-tier education,” she said to The Times. Northeastern later rejected her request,as reported by Fortune..

The professor, Rick Arrowood, admitted to using several AI platforms—including ChatGPT, Perplexity AI, and Gamma. He told The Times, “In hindsight…I wish I would have looked at it more closely,” adding that teachers should be transparent about when and how they use AI.

Renata Nyul, the university’s Vice President for Communications, said Northeastern supports using AI in teaching, research, and operations. “The university provides an abundance of resources to support the appropriate use of AI,” she told Fortune.

Many students feel that’s unfair. They’re calling it hypocritical and questioning whether their high tuition fees are paying for a human education or one written by a machine.

One student, Marie from Southern New Hampshire University, found that her professor used ChatGPT to grade her essay and even asked the bot to generate “really nice feedback.” “From my perspective, the professor didn’t even read anything that I wrote,” Marie said to The Times.

Professors maintain that AI operates as an additional educational resource despite student frustration. Professors argue that the tool assists teachers with their workload.

For example, Dr. Shingirai Kwaramba from Virginia Commonwealth University views AI as an advanced calculator system. The tool enables him to dedicate more time to individual student support, as reported by The Times.

Teachers initially feared that ChatGPT and similar AI tools would enable students to cheat in their assignments. Students are now opposing what they perceive as unfair or excessive professorial use of the same tools because it diminishes the worth of their expensive educational experience.