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NTU students who got zero marks for using Gen AI for assignments dispute ruling

Three undergraduates from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have challenged the school’s decision to award them zero marks and slap them with academic misconduct records after they were accused of using generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in their coursework.

The students claim the ruling was unjust and that they were not given a fair hearing, sparking online outrage and renewed debate over AI policies in universities.

Students penalised after AI use flagged in health & politics module

According to The Straits Times, the students were taking a module on health, disease outbreaks, and politics when they came under investigation in April.

Two students admitted they had used generative AI, but only as a research aid, not to write their essays. A third student said they were unaware that a tool, marketed as an “AI-powered essay writing service,” even counted as AI use.

Source: Nanyang Technological University

After a formal review, all three students were given zero marks and flagged for academic misconduct.

Student claims citation sorter mistaken as AI

On 19 June, one of the affected students posted on the subreddit r/SGExams, revealing that they were penalised for what they said was a misunderstanding.

In the now-viral post, they claimed the professor flagged their work for using AI due to three small citation errors out of 20 correct citations and the use of a citation sorter to alphabetise references, a common tool that is not AI-powered.

The OP asserted that the professor mistook this for AI use. This accusation led to a zero grade, an academic fraud warning, and a plummeting GPA.

How an AI accusation by NTU ruined my degree – and how no one in the school helped byu/CurveSad2086 inSGExams

The student said they submitted strong evidence to clear their name, including Google Docs version histories, draft files, and even a Draftback screen recording showing their entire writing process.

However, NTU allegedly refused to review the proof or allow any negotiation during the disciplinary hearing.

The same student said they even brought their case to a Meet-the-People session. A volunteer said a letter would be written on their behalf, but there have been no updates since.

Same professor allegedly accused 5 more students

In a follow-up post on 20 June, the student revealed that they weren’t the only ones caught in this situation.

“Here’s the important update: I’m not alone,” the student wrote.

They claimed that five other students had allegedly been falsely accused of AI use by the same professor this semester. Two of them have already reached out to share similar experiences and outcomes.

In response to MS News queries, the student confirmed that they and their peers had paid S$40 each to file an official appeal with NTU’s academic board. Consultations are reportedly scheduled this week.

Netizens sympathise with student, call for fairer process

The student’s Reddit thread attracted widespread sympathy, with users slamming NTU for the way the case was handled.

One netizen expressed sympathy for the OP and hoped that Reddit could help shed light on the situation.

Source: Reddit

Another commenter was shocked by the “injustice” the OP faced and hoped the story would gain public attention.

Source: Reddit

Many commenters urged the student to seek legal advice, while others called for greater clarity in how universities define and detect AI usage.

Source: Reddit

NTU’s stance on use of Gen AI in research

NTU’s official guidelines acknowledge the usefulness of generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Bing, and Bard in supporting academic work, but warn of ethical and integrity risks.

“Researchers who use AI tools in their scholarly work must use GAI in a responsible and accountable manner, and be transparent on the extent and nature of the involvement of GAI in their work.”

This involves disclosing any use of AI tools in research proposals, manuscripts, or academic work.

MS News has reached out to NTU for more information.

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