I think LLMs are wonderful study aids and can bridge gaps in understanding by providing collaborative discovery with a “copilot,” but absolutely, if you cheat o

I think LLMs are wonderful study aids and can bridge gaps in understanding by providing collaborative discovery with a “copilot,” but absolutely, if you cheat off of it, things catch up quickly. First, the sort of stuff ChatGPT can do out of the box is introductory course material. More advanced material requires a deep semantic understanding of the domain. Even if you use ChatGPT to produce boilerplate and syntax, or ask it for semantic advice, it won’t solve the crucial nuggets for you. Second, there is always a “test” component where you are required to remember what you learned impromptu without aids. Third, a lot of cs programs require collaborative work in projects. It’ll become very obvious who doesn’t know anything. Finally, even if you manage to graduate cheating through the entire program, when you interview for work, it’ll be transparent you learned nothing. A degree is an end, it’s a means to an end - be it research of industry, and experts will always be able to sniff out dilettantes.