AI is here to stay, and like the introduction of the internet, it has changed the way we study fundamentally. However, when a UCLA student blatantly flaunted the very ChatGPT script he used to earn his graduation, it really got people riled up.
There are big debates at the moment about how we can stop people using ChatGPT to write their thesis for them, and how much they should be permitted. There is no stopping AI now. It’s an integral part of society at this point, and only becoming more so.
When I was in university, the internet was deeply embedded in a way it never was for my professors. We didn’t have to trawl through libraries for information; Uncle Google was there to pull up information. But, I couldn’t get Google to write anything for me; it was just an advanced database, and I still had to dig through reams of information.
Now, though, using ChatGPT, it’s possible to ask AI to do complex tasks such as coding, problem solving, and even writing entire essays. A UCLA student has brought his ChatGPT-written thesis with him to his graduation. It was the one that earned it after all.
Can’t Stand In The Way Of Progress, But You Can Stand To The Side And Scoff
Would I have used ChatGPT to write or research for me at university? Absolutely I would, and any high horse naysayer is lying. Too many times, I had to do all-nighters, stoned out of my box, cursing my own tardiness. In those moments, I would have had ChatGPT slop out my essay and simply rewritten it.
UCLA graduate celebrates by showing off the ChatGPT he used for his final projects right before officially graduating 😭 pic.twitter.com/hZAvrY1fJk
— FearBuck (@FearedBuck) June 18, 2025
The UCLA student flaunting his ChatGPT graduation piece isn’t alone. He’s just the only one brave, or stupid, enough to shout about it. I can guarantee that 90% of the students in that room did exactly the same.
But there are some serious problems with this. Using ChatGPT to write the work that earns a graduation means that there is a high chance that nothing has been learnt by the graduate. For me, that would be a shame, having studied English Literature. Learning to truly appreciate and love literature is the only thing I really got from my degree, and it was worth every penny.
But, for a doctor or scientist, it could be catastrophic. The dumbing down of the entire generation our health and scientific progress lies in the hands of is no laughing matter. Roll on the long overdue dark age, baby. Once ChatGPT goes quiet, we’re all f**cked.