A singular case reported by the New York Times features Teresios Bundi, a 34-year-old Kenyan citizen who for over a decade has earned a living by writing paid term papers on behalf of university students.
What began as an under-the-table activity to earn a little extra while he attended university, over time turned into a real profession, which led him to earn five times what he would have earned by continuing his career in public health.
The system also became structured over time: Bundi worked within a network of people who professionally did homework for students on the other side of the world. A thriving industry, until artificial intelligence arrived.
Free, accessible to all and capable of doing much of the work, AI has progressively reduced demand for services like those offered by Bundi.
The students who turned to Bundi attended the most varied faculties, such as medicine, engineering or computer science. They came from the United States, the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries. When the deadline for the submission of a term paper or a university paper was approaching, they turned to Bundi to entrust him with the drafting of the assignment.
Like him, many other educated young people in Kenya, India, the Philippines and other countries have found job opportunities thanks to the globalization enabled by the internet. Bundi tells the New York Times that he has written over 2,500 essays in 12 years, sometimes at the rate of three a day, for each essay he pays from 40 to 70 dollars, the assignments arrive via digital platforms and the work is distributed between Bundi and the students who collaborate with him.
A 2018 study on the proliferation of ghostwriters had shown how personalized academic papers were easily available at a low cost, and that the majority of providers of this type of service operated from Kenya and according to the New York Times there are 40 thousand people in Nairobi who are paid to carry out other people’s tasks.
https://www.corriere.it/tecnologia/26_settembre_14/migliaia-di-kenioti-si-guadagnavano-da-vivere-scrivendo-saggi-per-studenti-stranieri-l-arrivo-dell-ai-ha-reso-inutile-il-loro-fdbdc848-94f9-4ace-ac10-2891ec673xlk.shtml?refresh_ce
Posted by EnvironmentPlus8992
10 Comments
Sarei curioso di sapere quanti universitari italiani si siano fatti scrivere le tesine da altre persone o abbiano “preso in prestito” tesine create originariamente da un altro studente per se stesso e poi cedute a terzi solo dopo essere state discusse all’università. Io ne conosco solo uno che ha scelto questa seconda opzione, ma non mi stupirei se ce ne fossero tanti altri. La cosa più divertente è che chi ha pagato per una tesina potrebbe tranquillamente essere il vostro capo laureato al lavoro o, che ne so, un medico o un politico.
Umanamente mi dispiace per loro.
Affascinante
Incredibile come chi comprava una tesina e chi la fa scrivere dall’ia siano le stesse persone.
Ma come… Io leggevo che l’IA avrebbe dato un boost ai paesi più poveri.. saranno mica tutte cazzate?
Secondo me ci sono tanti nuovi lavoretti simili che questi Nigeriani possono fare ora utilizzando ai
Comunque tutta sta pagliacciata intorno alle tesine Universitarie è veramente incredibile, so che abolirle è un po’ estremo però sicuramente c’è qualcosa che deve cambiare
Eh… pace.
Il senso di questo post quale sarebbe? Dovrei provare pena per questi qua? Maledire le IA? non capisco.
Una tesi sui leoni e le pantere le gazzelle e iene. Il tututututu