ChromaLock, a content creator, posted a video on YouTube showing how he modified a Texas Instruments TI-84 calculator to connect to ChatGPT, OpenAI’s chatbot. This modification, presented as the “ ultimate cheat device “, allows the user to send problems to ChatGPT via the calculator keyboard and receive real-time responses on the screen.
A not very ethical DIY
To achieve this feat, ChromaLock first analyzed the TI-84’s link port, originally designed to transfer educational programs. He then designed a custom printed circuit board, called “TI-32”, which embeds a Seed Studio ESP32-C3 Wi-Fi microcontroller (sold for around $5), and other electronic components. This microcontroller allows the calculator to communicate with online servers, and therefore with ChatGPT.
This modification may seem technically complex, but it is nonetheless achievable with the right components and a little knowledge of electronics. ChromaLock has also shared the plans for its project online, allowing other smart people to reproduce the hack. However, he specifies that this DIY is not intended to be commercialized.
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In addition to the hardware modification, ChromaLock has developed specific software for the calculator and microcontroller, available as open source on GitHub. This software allows you to use the “send” and “receive” commands built into the TI-84 to transfer files. The user can thus download a launcher which provides access to several applets, including a ChatGPT interface. This interface can help solve math problems, but it’s still laborious to use because it’s difficult to type complex questions on the calculator’s limited keyboard!
Beyond ChatGPT, the modified calculator offers several other cheat tools. Among them, an image browser for viewing pre-recorded visual aids, and another applet which allows you to download cheat sheets in text format, disguised as program source code. ChromaLock also mentioned the possibility of adding a camera function to its project, without going into too much detail.
One of the most intriguing features of this device is its ability to bypass anti-cheating measures commonly implemented in schools. The launcher program can be downloaded on demand, thus escaping the controls of teachers who might attempt to check or clear the calculator’s memory before an exam. In addition, the modification would deactivate the TI-84’s “test mode”, a locked state that is supposed to prevent cheating during exams.
If the ChromaLock video presents this project as a technical accomplishment, the use of such a device in an exam situation represents an obvious form of cheating! The handyman himself acknowledges that consulting ChatGPT during a test via a calculator violates the rules of most schools. As a result, students could face severe sanctions if caught in the act.
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