Homework cheating in Kenya

Chat GPT. Richard Drew / AP  

Cheating American: "AI is not that intelligent"  

 

Many well-educated Kenyans work to help students in the US and Europe cheat on schoolwork. The American Harold, who studies at a university in Wisconsin, is one of those who use the services.  

 

In the last two years, he has spent 1,100 dollars, over 10,000 kroner, on four essays. Most of what he gets back from Kenya goes through without remarks, he tells the site Context.  

 

In Kenya, there is now concern that new AI services such as Chat GPT will mean the end of the shadow industry. Harold tried to cheat with the AI, but was not satisfied:  

 

- It is not that intelligent and a good teacher will know which content is genuine. I got an assignment returned once so I decided to return to academic writers in Africa.  

Illustration image. Shutterstock 

 

Homework cheating in Kenya 

Homework help cheating in Kenya a loser in AI's advance  

 

Young, well-educated Kenyans write assignments and essays for wealthier students in countries in Europe and the United States. But now there is growing concern within the shadow industry that AI services such as Chat GPT will mean a killing blow for the ghostwriters, writes the Thomson Reuters Foundation's media platform Context.  

 

30-year-old mathematician Langat earns 200 to 300 dollars a month, per student. Since 2018, he has helped around 30 students, he says.  

 

- At the beginning of the year, the income decreased significantly because everyone started using the AI tools, he says.  

 

His hope is that universities will get better at stopping AI cheating - so that his own business can continue.  

 

Homework cheating started a decade ago when many graduates left universities in Kenya, facing a tough job market.