A UC Berkeley professor admitted to using AI to edit a column
Zvezdelina Stankova, a mathematics professor at the University of California, Berkeley, admitted that she used artificial intelligence to edit an op-ed she wrote about students’ math proficiency. In an article for the San Francisco Standard, she stated that some of her students are five to eight years behind the expected level and have gaps in their knowledge of fractions and basic algebra.
According to The Guardian World, the column, which was about 2,000 words long, was published last week. Stankova linked the problems with students’ preparation to the University of California system’s admissions policy, which does not take standardized test scores into account. In her view, the decision to eliminate criteria such as the SAT may have facilitated the admission of applicants who were insufficiently prepared for Berkeley’s mathematics programs.
Journalists at the student newspaper The Daily Californian noted the style of the text, which, in their opinion, could indicate the use of AI. According to Berkeley student Francis Luo, the editorial staff checked the column using the Pangram service, which estimated that 33% of the text was generated or created with the assistance of artificial intelligence.
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Stankova stated that she used AI to “help edit the text” and to search for documents and articles related to the initiative to reinstate entrance exams. At the same time, she emphasized that the analysis was the result of the team’s work, and the article itself was the culmination of several hundred hours of human labor, of which approximately 80 hours were her own.
The San Francisco Standard stated that it allows the use of AI as a supportive tool, but expects that behind every published article there are people who take responsibility for every word. The publication noted that it considers the column to be a reflection of the original analysis, research, and expertise of Stankova and her colleagues.
In 2020, the University of California Board of Regents voted to phase out the requirement to submit standardized test scores. In late July, the UC Academic Senate announced the start of a review of the issue regarding the possible reinstatement of entrance exams. If such a decision is made, it could take effect no earlier than the fall 2028 admissions cycle.
