As new technologies develop and advances in social media and artificial intelligence rise, there is a worldwide concern over the powers that these tools have over humanity. One of the most popular AI platforms, ChatGPT, is commonly known for its infamous skills at completing papers and homework assignments for secondary and college students. As both students and teachers learn and take advantage of these new resources, the concern of whether or not AI in education is ethical is a rising topic on a global scale.
ChatGPT, which was created by OpenAI and came out in November 2022, uses Generative Pre-trained Transformer technology (GPT) to understand contexts when the user asks it a question. A major difference between ChatGPT and other AI platforms is its development, which uses dialogue as opposed to solely text generation, providing a more humanistic approach to its program.
Despite many of ChatGPT’s developments, its flaws are still very evident. In many instances, AI platforms often produce incorrect or fabricated information based on contexts it knows from its pre-trainer technology, not a full picture. Additionally, ChatGPT’s writing style is very singular and unique to its own, leading to many professors believing that if they see certain attributes of a student’s writing, it can be deemed as artificially generated.
In a study from the Harvard Gazette, Senior Lecturer on Applied Physics, Fawwaz Habbal, discusses the flaws of artificial intelligence and why it isn’t all it may be cracked up to be. “While AI excels in data processing and statistics, it cannot create truly innovative and creative solutions,” he said, “machines calculate, and they do not have human experiences.” Platforms like ChatGPT are designed to calculate and give outputs, but aren’t skilled enough to create solutions at a level comparable to humans. This is a major reason why AI can be good at answering questions or assisting with math homework, but not necessarily completing work at a high level.
ChatGPT is still on the rise and is one of the biggest platforms for students globally. The site has over 882 million users and is the fifth most-visited website in the world. What’s even scarier is that it is predicted to grow further over time, with a 4% increase in quarterly growth, according to statistics from Julia Lubianytska at Seoprofy, an SEO service company.
Obviously, artificial intelligence isn’t necessarily all good or all bad, but there are clear concerns as to whether the site is beneficial for long-term understanding or learning. Some students may use the platform to study or to understand concepts, while others may use it just to get answers in a short amount of time. This can cause hour-long assignments to be done in minutes, but is it really worth it if the student is not putting in the work to understand the concept?
ChatGPT and artificial intelligence is having a profound effect on how our society functions, especially in education. As advanced technology continues to develop, it is important to acknowledge all impacts of this artificial intelligence, whether positive or negative. Because of these advances, education and learning have become more efficient and fast-paced, but studies show that it can also hinder the effectiveness of understanding. These new sites are continuing to grow and have the potential to be very impactful on how humanity functions in the upcoming years.
