ChatGPT has already wreaked havoc in classrooms and changed the way teachers approach assignment writing, ever since OpenAI publicly released the generative AI chatbot in late 2022. School administrators scrambled to try to spot AI-generated essays, and in turn, students scrambled to figure out how to hide their synthetic compositions. But by focusing on written assignments, educators allowed another sea change to happen on the periphery: students are also using AI more frequently to complete math assignments.
Right now, high school and college students across the country are experimenting with free smartphone apps to help them complete their exams. Maths homework using generative AIOne of the most popular options on campus right now is the Gauth Appwith millions of downloads. It is owned by ByteDance, which is also the parent company of TikTok.
The Gauth app was first launched in 2019 with a primary focus on mathematics, but soon expanded to other subjects as well, such as chemistry and physics. It has grown in relevance and is approaching the top the smartphone download charts Earlier this year, in the education category, students seem to love it. With hundreds of thousands of mostly positive reviews, Gauth has a favorable rating of 4.8 stars in the education category. Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
All students have to do after downloading the app is point their smartphone at a homework problem, printed or handwritten, and then make sure all the relevant information is inside the cropped image. Gauth’s AI model then generates a step-by-step guide, often with the correct answer.
Based on our tests with sample high school algebra and geometry assignments, Gauth’s AI tool didn’t return A+ results and struggled in particular with some graphing questions. It performed well enough to earn a low B grade or a high C average on the assignments we gave it. It’s not perfect, but it’s probably also good enough to satisfy bored students who’d rather spend their after-school time doing literally anything else.
The app struggled more at higher levels of math, such as Calculus 2 problems, so students who are further along in their educational journey may find less use for this current generation of AI-powered task-solving apps.
Yes, generative AI tools, based on natural language processing, are notorious for failing to generate accurate answers when presented with complex mathematical equations. But researchers are focused on improving AI capabilities in this sector, and a basic high school math class is likely within reach of current AI task applications. Will has even written about how researchers at Google DeepMind are excited about recent results from testing a large math-focused language model, called AlphaProof, on problems shown at this year’s International Mathematical Olympiad.
To be fair, Gauth positions itself as an AI research company that is there to “pass your assignments” and help you with difficult problems, rather than being an aid to cheating. The company even goes so far as to include a “Code of honor” on its website dictating appropriate usage. “Resist the temptation to use Gauth in ways that go against your values or school expectations,” the company’s website reads. Basically, Gauth implicitly acknowledges that impulsive teens may use the app for much more than the occasional mistake, and it wants them to pinky promise that they’ll behave.
A ByteDance spokesperson did not respond to a list of questions about the Gauth app when contacted by WIRED via email prior to publication.