Education & Implications of ChatGPT

ChatGPT has become the, “Next Big Thing” in tech these days. While, everyone is all abuzz about what ChatGPT can do for you. I would like to take a moment to explore the implications and pitfalls that can occur when using this tech, specifically in Education.

How many times in your lifetime have you been asked to write a book report, essay, summary, a report or even a dissertation? I know this came up often in my English Literature, Rhetorical and even History. We haven’t even gotten into reports or documents needed for work. With the advent of ChatGPT I have questioned the implications of having this tool available to students and adults alike.

In this “Brave New World” of Artificial Intelligence (AI), educators everywhere will have to navigate and decide what path to take forward. Can you tell the difference between an (AI) generated book report vs a student who took the time to put it together? Granted, ChatGPT is in its infancy stage and it is by no means perfect and as time goes by will become more refined.

I question how educators will face this new challenge. In my preponderance, I asked my mother on her thoughts, before she joined the U.S. Air Force, she was an elementary school teacher with a background in English and Education. Her reply to me was that she thought that she would be able to tell the difference. Based on the student and how they speak. This was definitely something that I hadn’t considered. While technology continues to evolve, a computer can never be human. To be human is to be fallible, to have shortcomings, to be imperfectly perfect. A not so fleshed out idea that is haphazardly put together can be examined and learned from, edited and re-written to it’s best form of “perfection”.

When we write about something, we tend to relate it to ourselves in some way and how we see the world around us tends to creep in . Whether, it’s an article, a book or screenplay. When George Lucas, wrote Star Wars, he put his heart and soul into his work. Had he used an AI program to write the scripts, would it have connected with so many people? Would famous speeches like Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream Speech have made as much of an impact? When we use our own words we bring so much more, that helps the words, “come to life”.

My hypothesis is, that on a collegiate level, The Blue Books will make a comeback and students will be charged with making their own thoughts and ideas known, “The Old Fashioned Way” (Blue Books were simply a notebook of sorts with a blue cover and blank pages, mainly used to write in for exams).

This is not to knock AI or ChatGPT for that matter, but rather to explore how it can be utilized as tool to simplify or make things a bit easier.

I would love for educators on all levels to chime in and share their thoughts on how they may try to combat using aids like ChatGPT in the classroom.

Another thought I had, worth exploring is the implications of intellectual property and integrity. Perhaps I will dig into this topic next time. Please share your thoughts !?