LSU issues statement on academic misconduct after college athlete influencer Olivia Dunne promoted AI essay helper on TikTok

• Student athlete-slash-TikToker Olivia Dunne posted a paid partnership video about using AI for homework help.
• Three days after the video was published, LSU made a statement about the power of AI and warned students of academic misconduct.
• Dunne is the third highest valued student athlete in the US, according to NIL database.

Louisiana State University is reminding students of its code of conduct after an influencer enrolled at the university promoted the use of an artificial intelligence-powered app for help writing essays.

On Monday, 20-year-old LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne shared a paid partnership video with her over seven million followers in which she recommended Caktus.ai as a tool to help with essay-writing. The 10-second clip garnered over one million views, and was followed by a statement from LSU on using AI for schoolwork days later, local news reported.

"Need to get my creativity flowing for my essay due at midnight," Dunne's on-screen caption read as she showed herself using the program.

The Advocate, a Louisiana-based publication, obtained the following statement from LSU on Thursday:

"At LSU, our professors and students are empowered to use technology for learning and pursuing the highest standards of academic integrity," the statement said. "However, using AI to produce work that a student then represents as one's own could result in a charge of academic misconduct, as outlined in the Code of Student Conduct."

Caktus.ai's official site says it's "the first ever educational artificial intelligence tool" and boasts about its ability to "create polished essays with AI assistance for enhanced understanding." Unlike her other content, the comments for Dunne's Caktus.ai promotion were turned off. The video received over 40,000 likes.

Education and AI experts alike have championed the capabilities of programs like Caktus.ai and ChatGPT in the classroom despite general concerns about academic dishonesty. 

Although it's unclear how much Dunne was paid to post the video, she has had brand deals with American Eagle Outfitters, Forever 21, and more. 

In 2021, a monumental NCAA policy change allowed student to make money from their names, images, and likenesses after they fought decades for the right to do so. The change sparked a slew of brand deals for college athletes, and Dunne is among the highest earners. 

According to the On3 database of student athletes and their Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) valuation, Dunne is the third highest valued athlete at over $3 million. The gymnast ranks behind basketball player Lebron "Bronny" James Jr., the son of NBA icon Lebron James; and football player Archie Manning Jr., whose uncles Peyton and Eli were NFL star quarterbacks.