Many Boston College professors have adopted policies prohibiting students from using generative AI tools like ChatGPT for essays and assignments.
Although AI detection software like GPTZero reports being able to detect AI-generated content with up to 99 percent accuracy, the AI Steering Committee plans to discourage professors from using it to track generative AI in students’ work, according to Cristina Gregory, student senator and MCAS ’26.
“They’re looking into ways where we can motivate professors to not use this software,” said Gregory. “Even if they think that students are using AI, it’s hard to make one standardized procedure because we leave a lot up to the discretion of professors and definitely have a lot of control for their classes.”
During the UGBC Senate meeting Tuesday night, student senators discussed whether Boston College should continue investing in the generative AI tools it provides—such as Microsoft Copilot, Gemini, and NotebookLM—because students tend to prefer ChatGPT.
“They’re putting a lot of time and energy into getting and using these resources, and they’re not seeing students use them,” Gregory said. “So, they don’t know if they should put their weight behind ChatGPT.”
Gregory said the committee wants students to utilize its generative AI tools like Copilot instead of ChatGPT, citing privacy and data safety concerns. The committee also believes these tools are more effective for tasks like coding or checking spelling and grammar, Gregory added.
“If we cultivate productive ways to use ChatGPT and pub that out to students, rather than trying to shut it down completely and students just end up using it to write full essays, I think that’d be a more productive route,” said Mariame Diop, student senator and MCAS ’27.
According to Gregory, the committee is aware that students primarily use ChatGPT and is open to supporting students in using it responsibly. Still, she emphasized that the committee encourages students to explore the generative AI tools the University offers.
But Aidan Krush, student senator and CSOM ’27, said ChatGPT is more versatile and streamlined than other AI tools, arguing that the committee should focus on encouraging ethical use of ChatGPT rather than promoting multiple platforms.
“If you have eight different AI platforms, and this one does citations and this one does this other thing, ChatGPT can do all of that and it’s just more mainstream,” Krush said. “I would be an advocate for having responsible use of ChatGPT over trying to implement like 10 different AI services.”
No other generative AI tools match the extensive data that ChatGPT accumulates over time, according to Katie McCaffrey, student senator and MCAS ’25.
“You spend so much time putting your data into your ChatGPT, it knows what you want, so expecting students to switch over to a different platform is not beneficial because they’re always going to prefer ChatGPT,” McCaffrey said.
McCaffrey said ChatGPT also encourages responsible use because students have to learn which prompts produce the answers they are looking for.
“There are great ways for it to help you write, but it needs to be with responsible prompts, like in sections or helping with grammar,” McCaffrey said. “I think that’s so much more beneficial than essentially trying to get students to use platforms that, in reality, they’re not going to want to use.”
Student senators then discussed the discrepancies between the paid and free versions of generative AI tools. According to Gregory, the University provides students access to premium versions of its approved tools to level the playing field for students who might not otherwise be able to afford them.
“They picked ones that they thought were either the best at very specific tasks or could allow everyone to have complete access to an extended version,” Gregory said. “They don’t want some students to have access to the regular ChatGPT and then others to be able to pay for the higher end because that could cause discrepancies in classes and work submitted.”
Gregory said she plans to ask the committee to consider providing students with paid ChatGPT subscriptions.
“A good next step might be to look more into ChatGPT, if it’s even an option.” Gregory said.
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