Kenyan behind anti-cheat tool
The launch of ChatGPT by US powerhouses was the hottest flavour of the month.
Cyprian Fernandes in Sydney, Australia
At first look, it was a great story: a young Kenyan takes on the might of Silicon Valley by producing an online programme that can tell if students have used a brilliant American AI programme to work for them.
Aaron Shikhule and his friends recognised that something had to be done to stop ChatGPT from wrecking the education system.
With Australian David Cyrus and Dutchman Arend Bluemink, they produced a start-up version – AICheatCheck.
The three were soon the toast of Sydney media and were to be found on TV, in newspapers and in magazines.
The launch of ChatGPT by US powerhouses was the hottest flavour of the month.
Aaron was born in Nairobi and moved to Australia with his family as a five-year-old.
University-educated Aaron has a background in health with an interest in digital health.
He went to Redfield College and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) where he did his Bachelor of Biomedical Science.
Aaron is involved in a number of projects that include being a board member of the Young Executives Group at the Royal Automobile Club of Australia and a member of the Health Economics Society of Australia and Health Technology Assessment Working Group.
Academic dishonesty
ChatGPT. The AI programme you waited for all your life. A programme that could do the writing for you on virtually any subject, especially your schoolwork and university projects. But that would be cheating.
Aaron thought so and told his friend Cyrus. They called in AI engineer Arend Groot.
With the help of the UTS, they developed a tool to combat academic dishonesty.
AICheatCheck is designed to detect and prevent the use of AI-generated text in assessments, protecting the integrity of educational institutions.
The team conducted surveys of professors and students to gauge the magnitude of the problem.
The results showed that while many professors and students were aware of the potential for AI-generated text, they did not know the limitations of anti-plagiarism tools like Turnitin. Nearly all respondents said they wanted an AI text detection tool.
Said Cyrus said: “The idea was born out of a playful experiment conducted when I used GPT-3 to write a blog post and challenged my colleagues to guess who the author was. No one could.”
“Our model helps professors, teachers and universities tell if a text was generated by a GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) model.”
The team says the tool can accurately detect the presence of a GPT model by analysing sentence structure and readability.
“As AI is increasingly present in education, we must protect the integrity of academics with our tool,” Aaron says.
This first working version found as a web app at www.AICheatCheck.com is being improved to prepare it for more advanced AIs like GPT-4. It is also expected to improve the user interface, experience and integration capabilities with existing systems.
Article written by ChatGPT
We input this question on the ChatGPT platform: “300-word article on how to make money in Kenya.”
The result below is what came out of ChatGPT:
“Kenya is a country with a rapidly growing economy and a large population of entrepreneurs. There are many ways to make money in Kenya, but the following are some of the most popular and effective:
Start a small business
Kenya has a thriving small business sector, and there are many opportunities for entrepreneurs to start their own business. Popular small business ideas in Kenya include starting a retail shop, a restaurant or a service-based business such as a hair salon or car wash.
Invest in real estate
Real estate is a popular investment opportunity in Kenya, as the country is experiencing rapid urbanisation and a growing middle class. Investing in real estate can be a great way to make money in Kenya, whether through buying and renting out property or through property development.
Invest in stocks
The Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) is the stock exchange of Kenya and offers opportunities for individuals to invest in various companies listed in the exchange.
Freelancing
The Internet has made it easier for people to find work as freelancers. There are many online platforms such as Upwork and Fiverr where you can offer your skills and services to clients from all over the world.
Online business
With the high rate of internet usage, starting an online business is a great idea. You can sell products or services online, provide information or offer a platform for others to sell their products.
Agriculture
Kenya is an agricultural country with vast land that can be used to grow crops or rear livestock. Agriculture is a good way to make money in Kenya, particularly if you are able to obtain funding and use advanced technologies.
Online tutoring
With the ongoing pandemic and increased online learning, online tutoring is an in-demand service. You can offer online tutoring services in various subjects such as math, science and English, and earn money while doing so.
Ultimately, the key to making money in Kenya is to identify a need in the market and find a way to meet that need. Whether you choose to start a small business, invest in real estate or stocks, freelancing or online tutoring, the key is to be creative, persistent and willing to take risks.”
