ChatGPT will find its students. Key for teachers is assessing the good and bad of learning from AI

ChatGPT can hold a discussion and offer information, but it cannot provide tailored feedback or engage in a real-time dialogue with a learner. (Image Courtesy: Nurphoto via Getty Images)

ChatGPT has been the most sensational technological offering on the internet in a long time. It is accessible to everyone using an internet browser. You enter queries or commands, and ChatGPT responds (to almost anything). Within five days of its release, one million individuals had registered to use it.

ChatGPT is altering how students are instructed and educated. With this Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool capable of writing academic essays that appear perfect, is it an opportunity, or a threat, or both, for education?

Some users have already evaluated the tool's capacity to generate persuasive versions of essay question responses and even publishable academic papers. Others argue that students may benefit from learning the inner workings of technology and may use it to investigate the possibilities and limitations of online information sources.

Bans No Solution

The Atlantic's headline from last month screamed that ChatGPT signifies "The End of High-School English." While the article's author recognises that the tool is "threaten[ing] to send my colleagues into early retirement," there's also a realisation that ChatGPT could become as commonplace as Wikipedia and calculators.

The New York City Department of Education has prohibited the use of ChatGPT by students and teachers in New York city schools, among the largest school districts in the US, due to grave concerns that its use may hinder education and spread misinformation. Others may adopt similar policies.

According to Penn professors, it would be impossible to prohibit chatbots powered by AI from being used in education. Therefore educators should instead think about incorporating them into classrooms.

Though reasonable, it would be shortsighted to prohibit such AI use in the classroom. It is more important to establish a solution in which technological aids do not replace critical thinking on the part of students. Essay writing may soon be as easy for GPT and related AI models as for calculators to perform mathematical calculations.

Furthermore, ChatGPT being banned would be like forbidding kids from using the Internet or spell checkers. It's not feasible, even if it were the "correct" thing to do in theory. Students will discover a way around the rule and stay one step ahead of preventive measures. It's unlikely that instructors will emerge victorious from the ongoing arms competition with technologically savvy teens.

Living With ChatGPT

It is understandable why educators sense danger. Unexpectedly thrust into their midst, ChatGPT is a powerful instrument performing admirably across various chores and academic disciplines.

Daniel Lametti, a Canadian psycholinguist at Acadia University in Nova Scotia, has asserted that ChatGPT would serve as the calculator for academic literature. Calculators altered how we taught mathematics. Before calculators, the solution was frequently the only thing that counted. However, with the advent of calculators, it became crucial to demonstrate your strategy for solving the problem.

Since ChatGPT offers strategies too, educators who trumped the challenge posed by calculators, must hone fresh assessment strategies. Erik Brynjolfsson, a Stanford University professor of economics and information technology, believes ChatGPT will become the "calculator for writing". He believes that technology will not replace thinking or writing. Instead, just as the calculator simplified basic math, he wants ChatGPT to "improve our ability to write."

The Learner Perspective

I met engineering students from Tamil Nadu at a conference last week at the Vellore Institute of Technology. While conversing with them, they spoke of linguistic challenges while studying and understanding. They said ChatGPT could solve this difficulty and listed other benefits:

* It is accessible from any place with an internet connection, making it a valuable resource for people who lack access to a tutor or teacher.

* It can enhance the effectiveness and personalisation of the learning experience.

* It can save time by offering prompt responses to queries, allowing them to move on to other tasks or learn more about a subject.

Yes, ChatGPT can hold discussions and respond to queries, making it a helpful tool for students who wish to develop their language abilities or gain knowledge about a specific subject.

Worried Teachers

When I spoke with professors at the same conference, they aired serious concerns:

* ChatGPT can hold a discussion and offer information, but it cannot provide tailored feedback or engage in a real-time dialogue with a learner. It might restrict the learning process and make it challenging for pupils to comprehend a concept or ask for clarification fully.

* ChatGPT relies on technology to function; hence, it may not be accessible at all times, and could develop technical issues.

* ChatGPT is only as intelligent as the data on which it has been trained. It may need access to the most recent information or be able to provide a thorough grasp of a subject.

The Road Ahead

Students who wish to learn more about a particular subject or practise their language abilities can benefit from using ChatGPT. However, it's crucial to consider this tool's limits and not rely entirely on it for instruction.

ChatGPT and related technologies have the potential to become valuable resources for enterprises, academics, and teachers. Utilising them can automate everyday operations, boost productivity, and uncover previously unknown information.

Furthermore, it's wise to treat new technologies with caution and gain an understanding of their potential and limitations before committing fully to them. Nonetheless, it is crucial to consider how they might be utilised for good and in a responsible way and not overstate their risks.

Nivash Jeevanandam writes stories about the AI landscape in India and around the world, with a focus on the long-term impact on individuals and society. Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication.