The University of Hong Kong has temporarily barred students from using ChatGPT or any other AI-powered tool for coursework and assessments. This pause marks a notable deviation from common study practices, signaling a cautious stance toward generative AI within a major global institution and a financial hub that often highlights cutting-edge innovation.
Media coverage indicates that this policy is unprecedented in the region, setting a distinctive example for universities in major cities renowned for finance and education alike. The restrictions require students to seek written authorization from the instructor before employing these tools, with a clear caveat that the use of AI must be disclosed to prevent any penalties for plagiarism.
Instructors have been urged to exercise vigilance and to consider supplemental methods of evaluation, including oral and in-person examinations, as a means to verify the authenticity of student work. The goal is to ensure that assessments accurately reflect each student’s own understanding and abilities while maintaining academic integrity.
The university notes that it will take time to craft and refine formal guidelines surrounding the use of AI tools in both teaching and assessment contexts. This process is expected to involve discussions with faculty, students, and academic committees to outline appropriate boundaries and safeguards for future use.
ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, emerged as a rapidly trending online phenomenon after its public release in late 2022. The technology enables users to generate written content such as essays, articles, poems, and even computer code within seconds, demonstrating the potential for AI to assist with creative and technical tasks alike.
Since its debut, ChatGPT has drawn widespread attention to artificial intelligence and its capabilities, prompting conversations about how AI might transform education, research, and professional work. The tool operates as a conversational assistant that can answer questions, translate text, draft content, and perform a range of language-related tasks, illustrating how AI may alter workflows across many fields.
At the same time, the emergence of ChatGPT has ignited debates about the appropriate use of AI in education. Observers note that the system can produce assignments that appear student-authored and can respond to exam prompts in ways that mimic human effort, raising critical questions about originality, assessment design, and the role of instructors in guiding technology-enabled learning. Universities worldwide are watching closely as they evaluate policies that balance the benefits of AI assistance with the need to uphold academic standards.