Do Teachers Really Use AI to Grade Your Essay

Do Teachers Really Use AI to Grade Your Essay

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Today, educators use AI to grade papers, plan lessons, and do lots of other things. Students use AI to generate content, including essays, pictures, and even videos. AI tools can even find mistakes and solve Math problems and equations. But is it the right thing to do? The mass media discuss two essential questions. Is it ethical to use AI to grade academic writing? And is it fair to hand in AI-generated papers and get an A? Let’s dive deeper to answer these questions. 

Brief Historical Guide

November 2022 became a significant date in the history of the world as it is the birthday of ChatGPT. Its creation was so phenomenal that it became a viral tool in different countries. Before that, people had only heard something about AI technology. Yet, they had never dealt with it so closely. First, Chat GPT1 made lots of mistakes, but with the lapse of time, new versions appeared that brought more advanced features. Today, it can generate content, solve problems, and suggest improvements.  

Recently, many universities have banned the use of ChatGPT at their universities. Regarding Academic Integrity principles, generated papers have nothing to do with uniqueness and the student honor code. So, if applicants write an MBA application essay using OpenAI, they will miss their chance to enter a university. 

At the same time, in 2024, headlines in newspapers, including the New York Times, shocked their readers. They proved that teachers used AI to grade students’ assignments. Yet, this was only 50% true. 

When Do Teachers Use AI in Their Jobs?

ChatGPT can become a decent co-pilot for educators. Teachers usually use it for:

  • lesson planning, which they later edit and improve;
  • idea search, like, for example, finding a hook for an argumentative essay;
  • creating a bibliography with citation generators;
  • checking their writing for various mistakes, etc. 

Speaking about grading, they usually combine several educational approaches. For example, Leslie Layne, who works at the University of Lynchburg in Virginia, can delegate your homework only if it does not contradict the ethics. For example, it can be some tests, Math or Physics problems, and similar assignments without intellectual property claims. In her opinion,100% AI-based essay grading is taboo. Nobody knows what AI can do with the student’s paper afterward. So, she uses it for some parts, like confirming some grammar rules or checking sources. 

What Do Students Think About Teachers Using AI for Grading?

Students often pay for research paper. They lack time and fail to combine private life and part-time jobs with education. They search for reliable agencies that do not generate or plagiarize papers. Sometimes, they manage to find an essay writer cheap and hand in top-quality papers to their educators.

So, how can students who seek perfection and A+ entrust their essays to teachers to break these rules? The NY Times interviewed students from different schools and universities in 2024. All of them agreed that the teachers who used AI to grade papers were:

  • Hypocritical 
  • Dishonest 
  • Unprofessional
  • And even immoral.

Their main claim was: “How can a teacher use ChatGPT and ban this tool in a class for students?” 

Pros and Cons of Using AI for Studies and Grading

Today, students purchase essays to enter college, do their regular homework, and improve college ratings. Sometimes, they use AI to get useful tips without wasting time on endless research. AI can collect all the required information in the blink of an eye. For example, they can ask it to provide an approximate structure of the 500-word essay. However, they analyze the given information and paraphrase it to write uniquely. Without paraphrasing, it will be 100% robotic. Besides, AI results might be inexact.  

Speaking about teachers who use AI for grading, there are also certain pros and cons. 

Pros  Cons 
  • AI can see mistakes that tired eyes can omit.
  • AI is a robot, so it can suggest corrections that do not fit the content.
  • AI sees multiple ways to improve writing.
  • Only a teacher can see the progress of a student.
  • AI does not have feelings. So, it is always objective.
  • As the AI is unemotional, it might not properly evaluate the content of 1st person essays.
  • AI has access to libraries and can easily check facts.
  • AI cannot predict the future, so it does not understand essays about plans and predictions. Besides, some services are closed or stored in written format, so AI can make mistakes when correcting information. 
  • AI immediately provides a detailed response with the approximate grade.
  • Uploading students’ homework to AI tools might become a serious ethical concern.

Eventually, AI is not a replacement for a teacher. It is an assistant who speeds up some tasks but requires constant control. 

Final Considerations

Various AI tools are changing the world of education. They simplify the lives of students and teachers. While learners generate information or ask to clarify some things, teachers use it for planning and grading. Yet, the law is still uncertain concerning the ethics related to AI. On the one hand, AI is not a person. So, copyright and intellectual property cannot be a part of the discussion. On the other hand, those who use it do not invest their findings and intellectual property. So, such writing does not comply with academic integrity.  

Using AI for grading is another red flag. Only humans can track the progress of a student, “feel” the message of the essay, and comprehend hidden motives, allusions, and other literary and stylistic techniques. What is more, AI tools cannot protect the intellectual property of students whose papers teachers upload. So, they must remain only virtual assistants without replacing teaching with the fateful mission of grading and rating.  

References

  1. Schwartz, Sarah. “Is It Ethical to Use AI to Grade?” Education Week, 10 Mar. 2025, www.edweek.org/technology/is-it-ethical-to-use-ai-to-grade/2025/02.
  2. “Teachers Are Using AI to Grade Essays. But Some Experts Are Raising Ethical Concerns.” CNN, 6 Apr. 2024, edition.cnn.com/2024/04/06/tech/teachers-grading-ai/index.html. Accessed 23 May 2025.
  3. “What Students Are Saying About Teachers Using A.I. to Grade.” The New York Times, 5 Dec. 2024, www.nytimes.com/2024/12/05/learning/what-students-are-saying-about-teachers-using-ai-to-grade.html. Accessed 23 May 2025. 

 

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Shawn Salazar
Shawn Salazar
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Writing has always been my passion. In 2020, I took a significant step towards fulfilling my dream by pursuing a Creative Writing and Journalism diploma. After graduating with a degree in English, I began contributing to the blog of the essay writing service Essaywritercheap.org. I also teach English to international students at an ESL school.

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