Reshaping Education: How Students and Schools Can Responsibly Utilize AI Technology
ChatGPT, or Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3, is an advanced natural language processing model that has provided individuals with the ability to produce well-composed texts at the user’s command. In the months following the chatbot’s public release, ChatGPT experienced rapid growth— amassing over 100 million users from November to January. For comparison, this same feat took the popular entertainment app, TikTok, over nine months to achieve, according to Business Insider. With the ability to generate human-like responses and assist with writing assignments, ChatGPT can help students learn and develop important skills.
However, the surge in popularity of the AI tool has led to concerns about its ethical implications in education. Some students have begun utilizing ChatGPT to fully complete their assignments, leading to alterations in syllabi and codes of academic honesty in some schools. The New York City education district was one of the first to ban the use of the technology in early January, according to The Guardian.
Despite these concerns, it is possible for students to responsibly utilize ChatGPT and other AI resources for academic purposes. For instance, at the University of Pennsylvania, one professor found that allowing students to use ChatGPT as an investigative tool enabled a greater understanding of the material, as it forced students to fact-check the AI’s produced responses, according to NPR.
Although some may argue that ChatGPT’s potential promotion of plagiarism outweighs the benefits, it could be argued that the vast majority of the AI’s risks are associated with the way students approach the technology rather than a fault of the technology itself, according to USA Today.
Responsible use of ChatGPT can open a plethora of avenues far beyond essay writing or assignment completion. For example, senior Gavin Thornhill noted how he used ChatGPT as the other side of a debate, with the AI pointing out different flaws in his logic and vice versa.
As AI technology continues to develop, schools and educators need to adapt and adjust. It is important for educators to teach responsible usage of AI technology, rather than simply banning its use altogether. By doing so, students can learn to utilize technology in a way that ultimately benefits their learning and academic growth.
