This is a pretty dumb take and it's repeated in this thread. The goal of the assignment is not a result. I mean the professor can probably write a better essay than some kid who just learned that this subject exist. The point of this exercise is to have the student learn how to do the work, so they can do it when it's not a simulated exercise.
You’re missing the point. Even if you disagree with the point, it’s important to understand it.
If the goal is “to have the student learn how to do the work”, and there is a tool they can use to do so, then using the tool is doing the work.
Your position only makes sense if you define “the work” to also include exactly the process you personally learned. No fewer tools (did you learn on a word processor?), no more tools (is spellcheck OK?).
When you are told to write an essay about WW2 it's not because your teacher needs info about WW2 but because they want you to read, parse, search, filter information and organise it in a logical manner. If all you do it type a question in chatgpt you learn nothing of these things that will be very useful in life in many situations in which you won't be able to ask your AI overlord for a quick answer.
You go from being a swiss army knife to being a butter knife without handle, it's all fun and games as long as you're asked to cut butter but when you'll have cut a steak or open a beer bottle you'll have a hard time.
