UC Berkeley professor admits to using AI to edit op-ed about students’ math skills

A mathematics professor at the University of California, Berkeley, has admitted to using artificial intelligence to help edit an opinion piece that criticized students for significant deficiencies in their math skills. Zvezdelina Stankova acknowledged employing AI tools to refine her article, which argued that some of her students were as much as eight years behind in their mathematical education.

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help edit

Stankova's original op-ed, published in The San Francisco Standard, detailed concerns that students admitted to Berkeley's rigorous mathematics program lacked even a middle school understanding of fundamental concepts like fractions. She attributed this academic gap partly to the UC system's test-blind admissions policy, suggesting it allowed insufficiently prepared students to enroll.

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five to eight years

The professor's use of AI in editing the piece has surfaced as a point of discussion, particularly given the op-ed's focus on academic preparedness and educational standards. The situation raises questions about the role of AI in academic writing and the integrity of published work, especially when discussing student performance and university admissions criteria.

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middle school