Marley Stevens, a third-year student at the college, faced a significant setback when a project she diligently crafted received a subpar grade, leading to academic probation and endangering her scholarship. What’s intriguing is that she had utilized Grammarly, a popular writing tool endorsed by her university, during the preparation of her document.
Upon receiving the email notifying her of the disappointing grade, Stevens was taken aback by the unexpected turn of events. During an interview on “NewsNation Prime” on a Sunday, she expressed her disbelief, stating, “I initially thought the email was meant for someone else because I put in a lot of effort into my paper.”
Unaware of the repercussions that would follow, Stevens found herself entangled in the aftermath, with her scholarship now hanging in the balance, three months later. Grammarly, a tool used by 30 million individuals to detect spelling errors, grammar mistakes, and linguistic imperfections, played a crucial role in this unfolding drama.
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Furthermore, Grammarly utilizes artificial intelligence for generative purposes, and a monitoring feature flagged Stevens’ paper as “inadvertently plagiarized” to the instructor.
“I am under probation until February 16th of the following year. It all started when I received that email. It was October,” Stevens shared. “I never imagined that this issue would still be lingering come March 2024.”
Despite Grammarly being endorsed on the University of North Georgia’s platform, Stevens found herself fighting to restore her reputation. The tool’s utilization of generative AI, which was swiftly removed from the university’s website, raised concerns regarding its appropriateness.
“This semester, a professor explicitly recommended using Grammarly, calling it an invaluable resource,” Stevens disclosed.
Jenny Maxwell, an advocate for enhancing writing proficiency and promoting responsible usage, clarified the company’s stance. She highlighted that “our AI engine embedded in the tool assists individuals in enhancing their writing by ensuring grammatical accuracy and reducing spelling errors.”
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Maxwell defended the tool’s credibility, emphasizing its 15-year track record of aiding students and professionals in crafting grammatically sound papers. She underscored the recent addition of a conceptual engine within Grammarly, emphasizing responsible usage and transparency.
Despite Stevens’ charisma and subsequent GoFundMe initiative to address the issue, she appears to have limited avenues due to the university’s stance, which rules out suspension or expulsion.
Maxwell extended further assistance, including a $4,000 contribution, on behalf of Grammarly.
With the emergence of advanced technologies like AI, Maxwell urged educational institutions to adapt their evaluation methods to stay relevant.
She remarked, “The education sector is currently grappling with the need to modernize their approach to evaluating writing skills.”
NewsNation attempted to contact the university for a response but has not received any feedback yet.
