Are ChatGPT and AI transforming education?

ChatGPT, the AI language model launched by OpenAI in November 2022, has garnered significant attention for its ability to generate human-like responses to a diverse range of questions. As this technology continues to evolve, its potential impact on education is being widely debated in both academic and popular media outlets. With the global education technology market expected to reach $404 billion by 2025, ChatGPT could play a crucial role in shaping the future of education. This article will explore the potential benefits and drawbacks of AI language models in education, drawing on recent research from academia.

The pros of ChatGPT in education

Xiaoming Zhai, Director of AI for STEM Education Center at University of Georgia argues that language models like ChatGPT can help students by giving them quick feedback and access to resources as it can search for information and summarize it for the students based on their questions or keywords. They can also serve as a learning tool by interacting with the students and helping them solve problems, making their learning experience more efficient and effective.

A recent study revealed that using generative models could reduce the grading overhead by 85%, allowing teachers to focus on other tasks including creating engaging and interactive lessons. As Kasneci and fellow academics published in the Journal of Psychology and Education, ChatGPT can analyze student responses and provide tailored feedback and suggest materials, offering teachers the possibility to automate some tasks, such as grading and giving personalized feedback to students. This technology is argued to have the power to make teaching more efficient as well as improve its quality. Indeed, such tools has the potential to offer personalized learning that caters to the diverse needs of students, instead of a one-size-fits-all approach.

The cons of ChatGPT in education

The easy access to information through ChatGPT can have a negative impact on students' ability to think critically and solve problems, argue Kasneci and fellow academics in their article published earlier this year. They posit that it may lead to a lack of motivation to conduct their own investigations and develop their own conclusions, making the students reliant on technology. While large language models can provide accurate and relevant information, they cannot replace the creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills that are developed through human instruction. It is therefore essential for teachers to use these models as a supplement to their instruction rather than a substitute.

A university article presented that generative models learn from data patterns and may not grasp the concepts they help students learn, causing errors in feedback and explanations. This technology further struggles to understand context and situations, resulting in responses that may not be appropriate or relevant. Moreover, their ability to generate human-like text poses a problem since it can make up information and create false references, leading to misinformation. This undermines the credibility and accuracy of educational resources and can negatively impact student learning and critical thinking skills if the accuracy of the generated content is not verified.

The use of ChatGPT in educational settings sparked ethical concerns in data privacy and bias. In an article on OpenAI and Education, the author argues that when using generative models in educational settings, students private information such as performance, grades, and personal details can be shared, leading to data privacy risks. To protect individuals' privacy and prevent unauthorized access, use, or disclosure of the shared information, safeguarding student data, including grades and assessment results obtained through ChatGPT is critical. Moreover, generative models rely on the quality of the data they're trained on, and if biases exist within the data, it can lead to a biased model and therefore to biased responses. It is thus crucial to ensure that diverse and unbiased data is leveraged to train generative models to prevent perpetuating harmful stereotypes or inaccuracies, as presented in an article on Education in the Era of Generative AI.

The potential of ChatGPT to transform education is both exciting and challenging. While it offers numerous benefits, such as personalized learning and increased efficiency, there are also concerns about reliance on technology, misinformation, and ethical issues. As educators and policymakers continue to explore the possibilities of ChatGPT in the classroom, it is crucial to strike a balance between embracing innovation and preserving the human touch that is essential.

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Discover more on ChatGPT

• How to detect whether text has been generated by ChatGPT?
• Living with ChatGPT: Detecting AI text without destroying trust

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This edition of AI for Good Insider was curated and written by AI for Good?Junior Communications Officer, Celia Pizzuto .