Critically Verify AI-Generated Content

In the interview with Despo, she provided insightful perspectives on integrating AI into education, particularly within her roles as a teacher and parent. Though language barriers sometimes caused misunderstandings when she replied partially in Greek, her passion for sharing valuable information remained unwavering. This occasionally led to responses that required further clarifying questions. Despite these hurdles, Despo emphasized the importance of approaching AI critically, encouraging educators to verify the information provided and to teach students to do the same. Her thoughtful reflections presented a nuanced understanding of the challenges and opportunities that AI offers in educational contexts.

Insights from Despo Iannou on Integrating AI in Education

Despo initially explored ChatGPT’s free version and later discovered Gemini and Microsoft AI Bing Copilot. Her experimentation revealed that while AI can assist with generating initial content, it often requires specific, targeted prompts for relevant answers. When writing student reports, Despo found the language and terminology too formal and complex, prompting her to revert to traditional methods. She also found that some of the generated responses needed further verification for accuracy.

Learning to Use AI

Despo learned about AI through recommendations from her university professor. This prompted her to explore LinkedIn, where she followed relevant individuals and ads about AI usage. In addition to personal practice, she attended online seminars, further enriching her knowledge of the available tools.

Skills Required for Teachers

When discussing the skills educators need to harness AI, Despo emphasized the importance of critical thinking and analysis. She often cross-checks answers across different tools, such as Gemini and ChatGPT, and verifies the information through reliable sources like Wikipedia . This ensures that she doesn’t take the generated answers at face value and instead synthesizes accurate data. Despo believes this critical thinking approach is necessary to discern useful and reliable content.

Student Challenges and Ethical Concerns

Despo expressed concern about students’ uncritical use of AI, noting that they often copy-paste answers directly into assignments without verifying accuracy. She gave the example of a student who trusted incorrect information from ChatGPT about evolutionary theory. Educating students on properly using AI and cross-checking data is crucial to avoid such errors.

Policy and Curriculum Development

Despo Ioannou advocates for policy-level changes and curriculum updates that enable AI integration while promoting critical thinking. Schools must educate students on ethical AI usage and discourage reliance on copy-pasting answers. Critical analysis and cross-referencing should be emphasized in assignments. Despo Ioannou believes this approach will ensure that AI supports tailored education while preserving the value of human interaction.

Impact on Human Interaction

Although AI may not directly increase classroom face-time, Despo Ioannou sees opportunities for teachers to reinvest time saved on administrative tasks into giving personalized feedback and teaching critical thinking skills. This will enable educators to customize their approach for students, reinforcing good practices while addressing misunderstandings.

Despo’s insights reveal both the potential and the challenges of integrating AI in education. While tools like ChatGPT and Gemini by 谷歌 aid teachers in various tasks, their use requires critical analysis and verification. By developing policies and training that prioritize ethical use and critical thinking, educators can ensure AI becomes a supportive tool that complements tailored education and enhances student learning.

Supervisor: Dr Lycourgos Hadjiphanis