--- title: "Lazy High School Teachers Using ChatGPT for Grading" description: "As Axios reports, a new software called Writable is allowing teachers to have ChatGPT evaluate papers for them." date: "2024-03-06" modified: "2024-03-06" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/teachers-ai-grading" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "OpenAI" tags: - "ai chatbots" - "chatgpt" - "education" - "teachers" - "the digest" --- # Lazy High School Teachers Using ChatGPT for Grading ![As Axios reports, a new software called Writable is allowing teachers to have ChatGPT evaluate papers for them.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ## Class Clowns It's no secret that students [often use ChatGPT]() to complete assignments and write essays. But now, in a bizarre inversion, their teachers are also getting a leg up from AI to grade their work. As [*Axios* reports](), a new software called Writable is allowing teachers to use AI to evaluate papers, which the [company says]() saves "teachers time on daily instruction and feedback." It's a bizarre new chapter in our ongoing attempts to introduce AI tech to almost every aspect of life. With both students and teachers relying on [deeply flawed technology](), it certainly doesn't bode well for the future of education. ## GPTeacher's Pet Last summer, Writable was [bought]() by HMH, a company that produces teaching materials for around 90 percent of K-12 schools in the country, per the report. "We have a lot of teachers who are using the program and are very excited about it," CEO Jack Lynch told *Axios*. The tool works by having teachers upload student essays, which are then run through ChatGPT, which can offer comments and observations. This feedback is then *supposed to* be vetted by teachers — but whether this critical last step actually takes place is anybody's guess. However, Lynch argues that the company is employing a "human in the loop" approach. "In this case, it's a teacher that's in the loop before any of the content or feedback goes back to the student," he told *Axios*. ## Grade A It's an especially interesting development, given how software has [struggled]() to [reliably tell]() if a given submission was written by a human or AI. Detection software has [historically failed]() to tell the two apart, with OpenAI [infamously giving up]() on its efforts to develop such a tool. Having AI tech involved in both writing and grading assignments may further blur these lines. That's not to mention the possibility of teachers over-relying on these tools, which could leave students shortchanged. The US has long had an [obsession with standardized testing](), which according to critics has failed to meaningfully address the social and emotional needs of students. By further distancing students from teachers with the use of AI tools, chances are that the situation could worsen over time. And to many teachers, who want their students to succeed in the real world, relying on AI is [simply not enough](). According to Lynch, Writable is looking to give teachers their "time back to reallocate to higher-impact teaching and learning activities." But given the historically [underfunded]() schools, filled with overworked teachers across the US, Writable is likely only a bandaid solution for much deeper, systemic issues. **More on ChatGPT:** *[Judge Blasts Law Firm for Using ChatGPT to Estimate Legal Costs]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()