ChatGPT: Bullshit spewer or the end of traditional assessments in higher education?

In short

Hype about a popular chatbot ending traditional assessment is weighed through a literature review and the authors' own trials of the software, with recommendations for assessment, teaching and institutions.

What it looked at

A literature review plus the authors' own experiments with the chatbot, written early in its public life. The article also covers the company's history, the tool's functions and strengths, and uses aimed at students, teachers and systems.

What it means for teaching

Could help when thinking through which assessment formats a chatbot most affects, as one early set of recommendations.

Limits

Drawn from a literature review and the authors' own trials of the software, so the recommendations are not tested with students or staff.

Cited 2,515 times by other papers, as counted by OpenAlex in November 2026. A count measures attention, not quality.