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I pay thousands to attend an Aussie university - but when I got my assignment back something shocked me READ MORE: The AI predictions every Aussie needs to know By SARAH BROOKES - SENIOR REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 05:19 GMT, 27 October 2025 | Updated: 05:19 GMT, 27 October 2025 A leading Sydney university is investigating allegations that one of its teaching staff used artificial intelligence to grade student assessments, sparking backlash over the perceived 'devaluation' of degrees. A viral screenshot circulating online claims a University of New South Wales (UNSW) tutor used ChatGPT to mark a Master of Applied Finance assignment. The postgraduate student posted a screenshot of Turnitin feedback on X that explicitly referenced 'ChatGPT' alongside a score of 88 out of 100, prompting immediate scrutiny. 'So glad that AI marks my assignments for my postgrad where I pay $5k every 6 weeks for the privilege,' the student wrote The post ignited debate over the value of university education. 'You're paying for real expertise from actual humans, not some robot,' said one. 'There is no doubt this will cheapen your degree and lead to future employers second-guessing your abilities.' Others labelled it 'disgraceful' and 'criminal,' and a disastrous loss of institutional integrity. A screenshot of allegedly AI-generated university assessment feedback posted to X by the postgrad student under the name Churgersasx UNSW confirmed it was aware of the incident with many X commenters labelling the use of AI in this context as outrageous 'What a disgrace! Institutions like you are sending Australian tertiary education down the gurgler. Not ok to use AI to write essays, but OK to use AI to mark them,' said one. 'Paid $40k for a masters there. I'd be seething if I saw this,' said another. UNSW confirmed it was aware of the incident and said it would be addressed under established internal procedures. Guidelines for staff at UNSW state that as a rule, markers must not use AI platforms which have not been approved for marking or feedback, but teachers are explicitly allowed to use Microsoft Copilot for that purpose. Last month, the university, ranked 20th in the QS World University Rankings, signed a major enterprise agreement with OpenAI, granting 10,000 staff access to the advanced capabilities of the ChatGPT Edu platform. The deal was the largest of its kind in Australian education with the US-based research organisation. That decision has sparked an outcry from some students, who have called for the university to dial back on AI over environmental and ethical concerns. Fine Arts and Education student Robin has accrued almost 7500 signatures on a petition to cancel a new elective subject called 'Generative AI for Artists'. Robin (pictured) is petitioning for UNSW to drop its new subject Generative AI for Artists amid wider concerns peers in other courses have been subjected to AI-generated feedback He said there were numerous negative impacts associated with generative AI, including plagiarism and the unsustainable use of electricity and water to power AI server rooms and keep them cool. 'It's been very frustrating for them,' Robin told The Daily Telegraph. 'They would like feedback that is specific and relevant, so that they can improve … and AI, in its current state, doesn't have the capacity to provide those same reasoned judgments. 'It significantly decreases the quality of our education, which we're paying a lot of money for.' OpenAISydneyMicrosoft Share or comment on this article: I pay thousands to attend an Aussie university - but when I got my assignment back something shocked me Add comment
