The Most Epic Fantasy and Sci-Fi Website

You Shouldn’t Use ChatGPT to Do Your Homework, but if You Do...


Don't Use ChatGPT to Write Essays 4
Credit: OpenAI

Listen, kid. Go do your homework; it's time to get that essay done. It's due tomorrow, and you've got to be the one to do it. We know you've been hearing all about the incredible power of ChatGPT, but you absolutely shouldn't use this AI tool to do your homework for you.

But, well, if you did use ChatGPT to do your homework, there are some things you should keep in mind...

Related: ChatGPT vs. Bing's AI Chatbot: What's the Difference?

Don't Use ChatGPT to Write Essays

Don't Use ChatGPT to Write Essays
click to enlarge
+ 3
Credit: OpenAI

Essays, by design, start off with rather generic prompts that are open-ended and leave a lot of room to make any kind of argument, so it can be tempting to simply plug in your essay question into ChatGPT and have an AI write that essay for you without you having to do any work.

The problem, though, is that the resulting essay is, inevitably, going to be generic. It's going to sound generic. It's going to feel like it was written by a committee, by an internet forum, by an AI. It's a great way to put yourself on the fast track to getting yourself a plagiarism charge.

Rewriting a ChatGPT essay in your own words might be a half-decent way to avoid being detected as a cheater, but it's pretty mind-numbing to rewrite an essay when you're already looking for the easy way out. That's why if you must use ChatGPT to help with an essay you're better off getting it to put some of your ideas into words and going from there.

Related: The Funniest AI Content You Can Watch Online in 2023

Use ChatGPT to Answer Short Prompts

We're not saying you should, you shouldn't, but if you've got some history homework that's due and you stayed up all night playing video games, well, ChatGPT is probably just as good as copying off that one guy.

ChatGPT is generally pretty well-read when it comes to history or philosophy or topics like these, so if you've just got some questions that focus on a particular reading or topic, getting the answer from ChatGPT is realistic, if ill-advised. Though, you should consider rewriting whatever the answer is in your own words, just to be careful and safe.

But, of course, you shouldn't cheat on your homework, slacker.

Maybe Use ChatGPT to Help With Math

Don't Use ChatGPT to Write Essays 2
click to enlarge
+ 3
Credit: OpenAI

Who likes math, anyways? Well, you definitely should try and get a taste for it, if you've got homework to do, but if you're short on time...

ChatGPT can be an effective way to get your math homework done fast, and it can even show its work. But you have to be careful, sometimes surprisingly simple calculations can be messed up by ChatGPT, so it's always worth double-checking whatever answer you get with something else.

Related: How AI Could Change Video Games Explained

However, getting ChatGPT to help you with your homework and explain a particular concept or get an example of something is always something worth trying if you don't feel like staying after class for a one-on-one talk.

Don't Be Creative If You Don't Want

You might think that an AI would struggle with creativity, but that's not necessarily the case, especially when it comes to anything creative writing related, much to the chagrin of the writers out there.

If you've got to write a poem or think up a premise for a short story or otherwise do something creative and silly, ChatGPT can be an incredibly effective way to get the job done. Not that you should have ChatGPT do that for you, of course, when you could be having fun being creative.

Related: How to Use and Not to Use ChatGPT

Even still, ChatGPT is a great tool to use in the process of doing more creative work, too. Even just having a poem, for example, like the one you want to write in front of you can be a massive help. Though, if you forgot about that assignment from your creative writing class, you know what to do...

You Can Skip Reading, Even if Reading Is Good

Don't Use ChatGPT to Write Essays 3
click to enlarge
+ 3
Credit: OpenAI

As somebody writing an article right now, reading is generally pretty okay, but if you think all that stuff is for nerds with thick-rimmed glasses, you may not have to bother with it, even if you really should.

When it comes to anything classic or just more than a few years old, like just about anything assigned in an English class, you can probably ask ChatGPT about it. You can get your very own personalized Sparknotes generated for you, right there, on the fly, and you can even ask questions, too.

Related: Are People Using AI to Cheat in School or Write Articles Online?

If all you need to know is a brief overview, a summary, or a couple of pointers about a few specific things in a particular reading, well, ChatGPT can be an effective way to save yourself time, not that we'd recommend it.

For more articles like this, take a look at our Tech & Games page.