Professor Who Urged Students to Avoid AI Is Caught Using ChatGPT to Write Her Own Article

Controversy Erupts Over Column by Western Sydney University Professor Kat Ellis

According to НВ — Техно: A news story published on June 4, 2026, at 11:30 AM has sparked debate after it emerged that Professor Kat Ellis from Western Sydney University wrote a column for the Sydney Morning Herald-using artificial intelligence. In her piece, Ellis advised students against relying on AI in their academic work. The column was written in response to an article by researcher Kylie Moore-Gilbert, who had warned her stepdaughter to carefully consider enrolling in university due to the risk of AI taking over the learning process.

After publication, the column was scanned using the Pangram detection service, which flagged it as AI-generated. Western Sydney University later confirmed that Ellis had used the language model Copilot to prepare the material. According to the university, Ellis uploaded 40,000 words of her own writings into the system, which the model then summarized and used to generate prompts for creating drafts. The institution stated that the column was based on ideas Ellis had developed over more than a decade.

Ethical Questions Around AI Use

Notably, the original version of the column made no mention of using generative AI. The editorial policy of media company Nine permits AI for research and idea generation but explicitly prohibits its use for writing articles. Sydney Morning Herald editor Jordan Baker confirmed the article was removed for failing to meet editorial standards.

'Clearly, this is unacceptable, and we are conducting further review.' - Jordan Baker

Neither the author nor the university informed the editorial team about the use of AI, which led to the decision to take down the piece.

This incident highlights the growing complexity of AI ethics in academic settings, particularly around authorship and transparency. When AI is used to generate content, questions about authenticity and originality arise, threatening trust in both educational institutions and the media. As technology evolves rapidly, the need for clear policies and ethical standards becomes ever more pressing.

This incident raises significant questions about the ethical implications of AI in academic publishing. As universities and research platforms grapple with similar challenges, arXiv has implemented a strict policy regarding AI-generated content, reflecting a broader trend in the academic community to address the complexities of technology in scholarly work.