A new artificial intelligence programme that produces essays on demand is sparking concerns at Otago University.

Chatbot software ChatGPT can churn out writing requests —including university assessments— using information available on the internet, including academic texts.

Any type of plagiarism, including the use of chatbots, is forbidden under university policy.

Otago Business School Dean Robin Gauld told Tim Dower that there's a real risk students will use it and submit it as their own work.

He says the technology could already be too smart for plagiarism-detecting software.

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