Will not ban ChatGPT but bring its use in line with 'academic integrity policy': IB board

NEW DELHI: The International Baccalaureate (IB) board has announced that it will not ban ChatGPT but bring its use in line with the board’s academic integrity policy. The statement comes after developments in artificial intelligence (AI) software to write sophisticated essay responses generated a great deal of interest and discussion.

The board says that banning the use of AI software will simply be an “ineffective way to deal with innovation” and therefore the use of it will be allowed if it is in line with the “IB's academic integrity policy”.

Adding that IB is not going to ban the use of such software, the board announced that it will work with schools to help them support their students on how to use these tools ethically.

“We expect all our schools to discuss the various types of academic misconduct with their students,” it added.

Proper credit to software, marks policy

Adding that the software must be credited in the body of the text and appropriately referenced in the bibliography, IB said: “Students should be aware that the IB does not regard any work produced - even only in part - by such tools, to be their own. Therefore, as with any quote or material from another source, it must be clear that AI-generated text, image or graph included in a piece of work, has been copied from such software.”

As with current practice, IB said, an essay that is predominantly quoted will not get many if any, marks with an IB mark scheme.

The IB, in the statement further said that artificial intelligence (AI) technology will become part of everyday lives — like spell checkers, translation software and calculators.

Adapting and transforming educational programmes and assessment practices and allow students to use these new AI tools ethically and effectively is what is required now, IB said.