Using ChatGPT is not cheating, but it should be guided.

Using ChatGPT isn't inherently cheating; it depends on how it's used. When guided properly, it can become a powerful tool for developing critical thinking, research, and writing skills. Instead of banning it, educators should teach students how to use AI ethically and responsibly.

Banoth Suresh Absolutely—guidance is key. ChatGPT can be a powerful learning tool when used to support understanding, not replace it. With clear boundaries and ethical use, it can actually enhance critical thinking rather than undermine it.

Vira Gorelova I completely agree. Like any tool, the value of ChatGPT lies in how it’s used. When integrated thoughtfully, it can actually deepen learning by encouraging students to question, revise, and refine their thinking. Teaching ethical AI use is not just necessary—it’s now part of preparing students for the future.

The plain usage is not cheating yet, but it can turn into it quite easily.

A nice (or maybe not so nice) watch on the issue is Angela Collier's "AI doesn't exist, but it will ruin everything anyway".

Jürgen Weippert You raise important concerns, and I agree that misuse—intentional or not—can easily cross the line into plagiarism. The responsibility lies in how we guide students to use these tools critically and ethically. AI should never replace fact-checking, source validation, or original thinking. When used carelessly, it undermines learning—but with proper guardrails, there's still room to explore its potential thoughtfully. Thanks for sharing the reference; I’ll check it out.

Entendo como professor que o uso de IA é inevitável, eu autorizo os alunos a utilizarem e depois nos fazemos a leitura e interpretação daquilo que foi produzido por IA em grupo e confrontando com os autores de referencia.

Eduardo Maieron That’s a thoughtful and constructive approach. By using AI as a starting point and encouraging critical reflection through comparison with trusted sources, you're helping students develop deeper analytical skills while navigating modern tools responsibly.

Using ChatGPT is not cheating—it’s a vital skill that educators must teach responsibly. In today’s world, avoiding AI tools entirely renders both teaching and learning less relevant. Students should be taught that ChatGPT is a thought partner, not a shortcut. It’s not about typing in a question and copying the answer, but about brainstorming, planning, and critically thinking through how to prompt AI effectively. The process should start with their own ideas, which are then refined through strategic prompting and iterative questioning. Educators should guide students in setting boundaries: can they use minimal AI or are broader uses allowed? A good practice is to have students submit at least five prompts they used in developing their work, alongside a reflection. They should also be taught to acknowledge the use of AI and consider ethical implications. Beyond prompting, students must learn additional skills such as information literacy, understanding AI bias, synthesising and editing outputs, and maintaining academic integrity. When taught well, AI tools like ChatGPT become not a threat, but a powerful catalyst for deeper learning and future-ready skills.

It means cheating if it is not an intellectual question or a question based on its skill.

كثير احمد حسين عليوي الرواز I understand your point of view. That’s a fair concern. The key lies in how the tool is used—if students rely on it to bypass thinking, it can certainly become academic dishonesty. But when guided properly, ChatGPT can support critical thinking, research, and communication—turning it into a skill worth teaching rather than a shortcut worth punishing.

Subashini K Rajanthran Absolutely agree—this is a thoughtful and forward-looking perspective. ChatGPT, when used responsibly, is not a shortcut but a tool that can deepen learning. The key is intentional integration: guiding students to start with their own ideas, use AI for refining and expanding thought, and reflect critically on the process. Teaching prompt design, ethical boundaries, and how to evaluate AI outputs builds not just digital literacy but also academic integrity. When students understand both the power and limitations of AI, it empowers them to think more independently, not less. This is exactly the kind of future-ready skillset education should aim to cultivate.

El uso de ChatGPT por parte de los estudiantes no debe ser considerado automáticamente como una trampa, sino como una oportunidad pedagógica para desarrollar nuevas habilidades, siempre que se promueva su uso responsable, ético y reflexivo. Tal como lo abordamos en el artículo “Inteligencia Artificial aplicada en la Educación Superior: Perspectivas, Desafíos y Oportunidades” (García-Zahoul & Barrios-Navarro, 2025), la inteligencia artificial ha irrumpido en la educación superior como una herramienta que puede enriquecer los procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje, siempre que esté mediada por la orientación docente y un marco normativo claro.

El uso de IA, incluyendo ChatGPT, implica un cambio de paradigma: ya no se trata únicamente de evitar el plagio, sino de enseñar a los estudiantes a interactuar con estas herramientas de manera crítica. Desde esta perspectiva, el uso de ChatGPT puede considerarse una nueva habilidad digital que debe ser enseñada, guiada y contextualizada por los docentes para que los estudiantes aprendan a distinguir entre asistencia tecnológica y suplantación del pensamiento propio.

Tal como sugiere la UNESCO (2023b), más que prohibir o temer estas herramientas, las instituciones deben generar espacios de diálogo, establecer directrices claras y replantear los métodos de evaluación. Es en ese contexto donde se construye una ciudadanía digital crítica y ética.

Por tanto, ChatGPT no es en sí una trampa, sino un instrumento que interpela profundamente las prácticas educativas tradicionales, obligándonos a repensar los criterios de autoría, creatividad y evaluación, y a preparar a nuestros estudiantes no solo para usar la IA, sino para comprenderla, cuestionarla y emplearla con sentido ético.

Catalina del Rosario Barrios Navarro Estoy completamente de acuerdo con la perspectiva planteada. El uso de herramientas como ChatGPT no debe reducirse a un debate binario entre trampa y legitimidad, sino abrirse como una oportunidad formativa que exige repensar nuestras prácticas pedagógicas. Como bien indican García-Zahoul y Barrios-Navarro (2025), lo fundamental es establecer un marco de uso responsable, crítico y ético que forme parte integral del desarrollo de nuevas competencias en los estudiantes.

Este cambio de paradigma no solo interpela los métodos de evaluación, sino también los conceptos de autoría y creatividad. En lugar de prohibir el uso de IA, los docentes deberíamos asumir un rol activo en su integración pedagógica, enseñando a los estudiantes a discernir cuándo y cómo emplearla, sin renunciar a su pensamiento crítico ni a su voz propia.

Como señala la UNESCO (2023b), el camino no está en restringir, sino en dialogar, regular y acompañar. Solo así formaremos ciudadanos digitales capaces no solo de usar la inteligencia artificial, sino de comprender sus implicaciones y de ejercer su autonomía intelectual en entornos cada vez más mediados tecnológicamente.

Catalina del Rosario Barrios Navarro I completely agree with the perspective presented. The use of tools like ChatGPT should not be reduced to a binary debate between cheating and legitimacy, but rather seen as a learning opportunity that demands we rethink our pedagogical practices. As García-Zahoul and Barrios-Navarro (2025) rightly point out, what’s essential is the establishment of a responsible, critical, and ethical framework that becomes an integral part of students’ skill development.

This paradigm shift not only challenges how we assess students, but also how we conceive of authorship and creativity. Instead of banning AI, educators should play an active role in its pedagogical integration—teaching students to discern when and how to use it, without losing their critical thinking or authentic voice.

As UNESCO (2023b) suggests, the solution lies not in restriction, but in dialogue, regulation, and guidance. Only then can we shape digital citizens capable not just of using AI, but of understanding its implications and exercising intellectual autonomy in increasingly technology-mediated environments.

Kwan Hong Tan When it's a New Skill to Teach Responsibly:

🧠 In these cases, students are not outsourcing their thinking—they’re enhancing it. 💡 It mirrors using calculators for math or search engines for research—tools that still require human input and understanding.

❌ When it Becomes Cheating:

🎓 What Educators Should Do:

• Teach ethical use of AI tools.
• Redesign assessments to reward originality, personal reflection, and process—not just the final answer.
• Incorporate AI literacy into curricula, just like digital literacy or media literacy.

🧭 Final Thought:

ChatGPT isn’t the problem—misuse is. Like any powerful tool, its value depends on intent and transparency.

Used wisely, ChatGPT can be a 21st-century literacy tool—not a shortcut, but a skill.

Ritu Sharma This is a thoughtful and balanced perspective that captures the essence of responsible AI use in education. The key insight here is that ChatGPT, like calculators or search engines, becomes valuable when integrated thoughtfully into the learning process—not when it replaces it. When students use it to unpack complex texts, rehearse ideas, or improve their writing, they’re not avoiding thinking—they’re sharpening it. These uses promote metacognition, critical inquiry, and iterative learning, all of which are essential academic skills.

The real issue arises when students bypass the learning journey entirely—copy-pasting AI output without understanding or reflection. In such cases, it's not the tool that fails, but the intent behind its use. The line between enhancement and substitution lies in effort, understanding, and intellectual ownership. That’s why transparent guidelines and open dialogue are critical—not to punish AI use, but to define its ethical boundaries.

Educators have a vital role here: to teach students not just how to use tools, but how to think with them. By embedding AI literacy into the curriculum and rethinking assessment to focus on originality, thought process, and authentic engagement, we prepare students not just for exams, but for life in an AI-rich world. ChatGPT, when used wisely, isn’t a shortcut—it’s a cognitive partner that demands judgment, intention, and reflection. And that, too, is a skill worth teaching.

Talabaning ChatGPT’dan foydalanishi aldash yoki o‘rganish vositasi bo‘lishi – bu undan qanday maqsadda foydalanilishiga bog‘liq.

-Agar topshiriqni to‘liq AI bajarib, o‘z ishi sifatida topshirsa – bu aldash. - Agar tushunishga, o‘rganishga yordam sifatida ishlatilsa – bu mas’uliyat bilan o‘rganishdir.

Demak, bu vosita — xavf ham, imkoniyat ham, undan qanday foydalanish muhim.

Inobat Bahodirovna Madraximova Thank you for sharing your throughts! Absolutely — your point is well taken. ChatGPT, like any powerful tool, can be misused or wisely employed depending on intent. If students rely on it to bypass learning, it undermines education and crosses into dishonesty. But when used to clarify concepts, explore ideas, or improve expression, it becomes a valuable aid in the learning journey.

The key lies in teaching students ethical, reflective use—encouraging them to see AI not as a shortcut, but as a companion in deeper thinking. As you rightly said, it's both a risk and an opportunity, and it’s how we guide its use that determines the outcome.

Xiaoyi Zhang

Aseel O Ajlouni

Inteersting question and replies.

I assume the basic message from the replies and literature is that students need to learn how to use AI and ChatGPT efficiently and prudently.

Perhaps a new short of code should be desinged and disseminated.

Konstantinos Karampelas Thank you for your response—yes, you've captured the essence well. As AI becomes embedded in everyday workflows, helping students develop the judgment to use tools like ChatGPT ethically and effectively is increasingly vital. Rather than a blanket ban or blind embrace, we need to cultivate AI literacy—not just how to use it, but when, why, and with what transparency.

I agree that a new code of conduct or framework could be valuable—perhaps co-created with students—to guide responsible use in both learning and assessment contexts. This way, we shift the narrative from "cheating" to accountable augmentation.