“Homework machine” that crafts assignments in your own handwriting sparks controversy

A requirement to rewrite an extensive amount of information inspired an Indian student to create a ChatGPT-powered homework machine.

A student from India found a way to employ artificial intelligence (AI) by creating a machine that would write his homework in his handwriting.

A short video, shared by one X (formerly Twitter) user, shows how a machine writes a student’s homework by mimicking his own handwriting.

A student in India designed a machine which uses AI to write his homework in his own handwriting. pic.twitter.com/rkTyyoJMmH

undefined Shubham2.0 (@bhav_paaji) July 21, 2024

The invention shown in the now-viral video was developed by an Indian engineer, Devadath PR.

The 22-year-old created the machine in 2023 after rewriting 100 pages of lab records from PDF by hand.

“I decided to make a pen holder tool for my ToolChanger 3D Printer to write the lab record for me,” shared the student.

The young engineer explained that while the homework machine is not a novelty, he found flaws in the workflow of existing devices.

For example, it’s easier to get caught using these machines, as the font used is “too perfect to be written by a human.”

The user has to turn the pages manually, and the machine may take too long to respond.

So, after the student was caught using the homework device, he was demanded to rewrite the 100 pages by hand. Therefore, he was determined to create “a machine to efficiently and effectively do your homework.”

He then started working on software that records one’s handwriting and can later be used during rewriting. With access to ChatGPT, the student was able to generate answers to his questions that were later rewritten by the homework machine.

“I have been writing assignments and lab records using the machine since June 2022. With the latest software, my teachers were unable to accurately distinguish machine-written text and human-written text,” concluded the project Devadath.

With this project, the developer wants students “to learn how to create their dream homework machine and develop their skills making one. Hopefully, this will help force the education system to move from rote memorization to a more skill development-based learning system.”

He believes that students should try other learning methods, such as active thinking and problem-solving, instead of repeatedly rewriting information and solving the same problems.

Once shared on social media, the video created some controversy.

While some praised the idea and the work put into the device, others were somewhat cautious, asking whether it won’t encourage students to cheat and look for an easy way out when it comes to homework and studying.

Nevertheless, with AI impacting various industries, it could greatly shape the education system.