Was it cheatgpt?
It’s becoming more and more obvious that artificial intelligence is making its way into schools and universities.
Yet, while many keep their AI usage under wraps, one student from UCLA proudly showcased his use of the technology during a graduation ceremony.
This surprising moment was captured in a live stream at Pauly Pavilion earlier this month, and it has since gone viral on platforms like Instagram and X, amassing millions of views.
In a brief clip shown on the jumbotron, Andre Mai, who is majoring in Computation and Systems Biology, raises his laptop to reveal a wall of AI-generated text that he claims helped him with his final exam.
The footage features other undergraduates proudly scrolling through what they call high-tech homework hacks, alongside their fellow graduates from the class of 2025.
“Goooo!!!!!” he enthusiastically shouts at the cheering crowd.
Not everyone was impressed, though. Some viewers interpreted the video as a sign of societal decline.
“We’re so cooked,” one disillusioned commenter expressed. Another added, “Pandora’s box has been opened.”
Others chimed in with comments like, “We are still supposed to take our university degrees seriously,” and “Our future doctors will have one AirPod in while asking ChatGPT how to perform heart surgery.”
Concerns about AI replacing human jobs were also raised. “If ChatGPT is the reason you graduated, it’s already taking over your job,” one critic pointed out.
This sentiment was echoed in discussions on Reddit, where one user lamented, “This will be the biggest problem. People won’t learn anything anymore; they think it’s the magic answer.”
On the flip side, some defended Mai, suggesting he’s found a way to adapt to the system. One supporter argued, “It’s not cheating if you can effectively use these tools to achieve your goals. It shows he can replicate these results in real life.”
Mai, who also DJs, addressed the viral nature of the moment in a later Instagram story, saying, “You may know me from this clip, but let me explain what was happening on my screen.”
In a re-shared post from ChatGPT’s official account, Mai explained that he used the chatbot to assist with two challenging finals. “I’ve compiled quite a bit of material for my machine learning lab,” he stated. “I needed AI to summarize key equations based on my last exam in undergrad.”
He insisted it wasn’t cheating, noting that his professors had encouraged the use of AI. “When the Jumbotron crew came in, I just flipped my screen to show what I was doing,” he said.
Mai further elaborated that he utilizes AI in several ways as a student, from grasping “operating systems and computer networking” to selecting the best DJ gear.
Nonetheless, experts remain concerned about the widespread use of AI in educational settings. A recent survey from the Pew Research Center found that about 26% of high school students have relied on AI chatbots for assistance with their schoolwork in 2024.
There’s a cautionary note, too, as studies from MIT revealed that students who use ChatGPT for essays experience decreased cognitive skills compared to those who think and write independently.
