NINA BANKS
campus editor
nina.banks@my.tccd.edu
ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence have the capacity to change the world of education.
Artificial intelligence, or more commonly referred to as AI, has made large strides in the world of technology and is increasingly accessible to the general public. ChatGPT is an AI that allows users to be serviced in a variety of ways.
It can be used like a search engine for general information like Google. ECHS student Dee Ediale uses ChatGPT as a tool to help research assignments.
“I use ChatGPT to help me research topics and facts for informative papers,” Ediale said. “ChatGPT is really useful when it comes to researching information or topics you know nothing about because it gives a broad idea on what you want to gain knowledge from.”
However, ChatGPT and other AI similar to it have been under fire after many educators have caught students using it to write their assignments.
“I consider myself to be a good writer so I don’t use it to write my essays,” Ediale said. “I’ve seen my classmates only use ChatGPT for research purposes or short paper responses. ChatGPT is perfect for a 3 paragraph response because it doesn’t require a lot of effort.”
Though ChatGPT does “not have thoughts or opinions” as AI, it asserts that using the platform to cheat is unethical and can lead to potentially harmful consequences.
“It is important for individuals to develop their own knowledge and skills through independent learning, research, and critical thinking,” ChatGPT said. “Dependence on AI language models for completing assignments can hinder this development and can lead to serious consequences such as academic penalties, loss of credibility, and damage to reputation.”
Like other English teachers, SE English instructor Kathy Quesenbury uses the plagiarism and AI detection software recently added to TurnItIn for students.Although she has seen an uptick of students using AI, Quesenbury does not believe that there should be extreme concerns towards it.
“No, because I think it’s like anything else,” Quesenbury said. “The calculator came out and students still can do math. I think if we in education have time to learn it and learn how to teach students to use it rather than students just use it, yes I think it could be beneficial.”
Concerns about AI taking over the roles of educators or the academic integrity of students have risen in recent months. Dee understands the concerns, but also the potential of AI as a tool in the classroom.
“I mean to an extent because of how quickly a human can be replaced by a robot who doesn’t need to be paid for their work,” Ediale said. “I’m not sure especially how current students use it to write full on essays. Some educational systems and districts might even ban it before it can be recognized as a good tool.”
Because AI is presumed to continue to advance further in its educating capabilities, ChatGPT maintains that students should only use it to provide aid.
“It is important for individuals to use AI language models responsibly, as a tool for learning and improving their understanding, rather than as a shortcut to bypass the learning process,” ChatGPT said.
