A Conversation with ChatGPT: Professors’ Use of AI in Their Work

I continue to be curious about the role that artificial intelligence tools could play in making knowledge work more efficient. I spent some time with ChatGPT to better understand how AI might support professors’ work. I thought you might be interested in the responses I got to a variety of queries on the topic.?

Below is the chat I had recently with ChatGPT. My questions are in bold and the AI responses follow each question.

What are the ways that professors could use an artificial intelligence tool like ChatGPT to bring efficiencies to their work?

1. Automated grading: ChatGPT can be used to grade assignments, essays, and exams.

2. Student assistance: ChatGPT can answer students' questions, provide clarifications and offer suggestions, freeing up the professor's time.

3. Research assistance: ChatGPT can help with literature searches, data analysis, and writing papers.

4. Personalized recommendations: ChatGPT can recommend relevant resources, papers, and books to the professor, saving time and effort in finding information.

5. Course content generation: ChatGPT can be used to generate teaching materials, such as lecture notes, presentations, and quizzes.

6. Student engagement: ChatGPT can engage students in discussions, encouraging active learning and providing personalized feedback.

Can you tell me more about how ChatGPT could grade students' assignments, essays, and exams?

Sure! ChatGPT can grade assignments, essays, and exams by comparing the students' answers to a set of pre-defined criteria or answer keys. The model can be trained on a large corpus of sample answers to determine the qualities of a good answer, such as grammar, coherence, and relevance to the prompt.

Grading with ChatGPT can be faster and more consistent than manual grading, as the model can quickly scan through large volumes of text and apply the same grading criteria to each submission. Additionally, ChatGPT can provide instant feedback to students, helping them improve their writing and understanding of the subject matter.

It is important to note that while ChatGPT can be an effective tool for grading, it should not replace human judgment completely, especially for more subjective assignments or exams. The professor should review and verify the grading results provided by ChatGPT to ensure accuracy and fairness.

Thanks for that. Could the automated grading provide substantive qualitative comments back to the student, to tell the student what were the strengths and opportunities for improvement in their work?

Yes, ChatGPT can be trained to provide qualitative comments on students' work by using a natural language generation approach. The model can analyze the students' answers and generate comments that highlight strengths, address weaknesses, and suggest areas for improvement.

For example, ChatGPT can identify specific parts of the answer that are well written and point out areas where the student needs to improve, such as incorporating more relevant information or improving the organization of their writing. These comments can help students understand what they did well and what they need to work on, providing valuable feedback that can inform their future work.

It's important to keep in mind that while ChatGPT can generate a large number of comments quickly, they may not always be as nuanced or detailed as those provided by a human. Nevertheless, they can still be a valuable tool for providing students with immediate feedback on their work.

What are the ethical considerations a professor should take into account before choosing to use a tool like ChatGPT when grading students' assignments?

1. Accuracy and fairness: The professor should ensure that the ChatGPT model is trained on a diverse and representative corpus of data, and that its grading criteria align with their own standards.

2. Bias: The model's training data may contain biases, which could affect the accuracy of its grading. The professor should carefully consider the potential impact of these biases and take steps to minimize them.

3. Human review: While ChatGPT can assist with grading, it is important that a human review the model's results to ensure accuracy and fairness. The professor should also be available to answer students' questions and provide additional feedback as needed.

4. Confidentiality and privacy: The professor should take steps to protect the confidentiality and privacy of students' submissions and ensure that the model's access to sensitive information is restricted.

5. Transparency: The professor should be transparent about the use of ChatGPT in grading and provide students with clear information about how it works and how its results will be used.

6. Limitations: The professor should be aware of the limitations of ChatGPT and recognize that it is not a replacement for human judgment. The model's results should be used as a supplement, not a substitute, for human grading.

7. Responsibility: The professor remains responsible for ensuring the accuracy and fairness of the grading, regardless of whether ChatGPT is used. They should regularly evaluate the model's performance and adjust its parameters as needed to maintain high standards of grading.

Do you anticipate that colleges and universities are likely to restrict the use of artificial intelligence tools in professor's work?

It is possible that some colleges and universities may restrict the use of artificial intelligence tools, such as ChatGPT, in professors' work, due to ethical and practical concerns.

For example, institutions may be concerned about the accuracy and fairness of AI grading and the potential for bias in the model's results. They may also have concerns about protecting student privacy and ensuring the security of sensitive information.

At the same time, many institutions recognize the potential benefits of using AI in education and may take a more permissive approach, provided that the technology is used responsibly and in accordance with best practices.

It is likely that the use of AI in education will continue to evolve and that colleges and universities will adopt policies and guidelines that balance the potential benefits with the ethical and practical concerns.

In any case, it is important for colleges and universities to regularly review and update their policies to ensure that they are consistent with current best practices and ethical standards.

Should a professor be worried about being sanctioned for using artificial intelligence tools to bring efficiencies to their work?

It depends on the policies and regulations of the college or university where the professor works, as well as the specific use case for the AI tool.

In general, as long as the professor uses the AI tool responsibly and in accordance with best practices and ethical standards, they should not be worried about being sanctioned. However, if the professor is not transparent about the use of the tool, or if its use raises concerns about accuracy, fairness, or student privacy, they may face consequences.

It is important for the professor to familiarize themselves with the policies and regulations of their institution and to seek guidance from their administration if they have any questions or concerns. They should also be transparent with their students about the use of the AI tool and take steps to ensure that its results are accurate and fair.

In short, as long as the professor is using the AI tool responsibly and in compliance with institutional policies, they should not be concerned about being sanctioned. However, it is important to exercise caution and to regularly evaluate and update the use of the tool to ensure that it aligns with ethical and practical considerations.

Have best practices and ethical standards been created or adopted for using artificial intelligence tools in colleges and universities?

There is currently no widely adopted set of best practices and ethical standards for the use of artificial intelligence tools in colleges and universities. However, there are various initiatives and organizations working to develop guidelines and standards for the responsible use of AI in education.

For example, organizations such as the Partnership on AI and the Association for Computing Machinery have developed guidelines and best practices for the use of AI in various domains, including education. These organizations focus on issues such as accuracy, fairness, transparency, privacy, and accountability.

In addition, some colleges and universities have developed their own policies and guidelines for the use of AI in education, which may vary depending on the institution. These policies may address issues such as data privacy, student consent, and the responsibility of the institution and its faculty in ensuring the accuracy and fairness of AI-assisted grading.

In any case, it is important for colleges and universities to regularly review and update their policies and guidelines for the use of AI in education to ensure that they are consistent with current best practices and ethical standards.