“While this technology is advancing, teachers are getting better at spotting if students have used Chat GPT on their schoolwork.”
Imagine if a website could be generated from a simple sketch, or if a complex computer program could be developed just by describing its functionality. What if an entire research paper could be written by choosing a topic? All of this would have seemed impossible a few years ago. However, the advancement of a popular Artificial Intelligence Chatbot has made these scenarios a real possibility. Many students are familiar with Open AI’s language-based model known as Chat GPT. For those who aren’t familiar, Chat GPT is a technology that relies on data to generate responses to questions. To use this software, someone can simply create an account and type a question in the chat box. After submitting a query, Chat GPT will respond with an answer to any question you throw at it. The New York Times claims it has more than 30 million users since its release last year. While this technology may help to expedite the workload for many people, it raises concerns that students may begin to use Chat GPT to complete their schoolwork. Is it right or wrong for students to use Chat GPT?
Of course, there is the benefit of not having to do the work for a given project. However, many people believe that it doesn’t belong in an educational setting because it discourages learning and robs students of motivation to do their work. Others think that teachers should embrace this new technology. Dustin York, associate professor states that he “hopes educators will learn to use ChatGPT as a tool and realize it can help students think critically”. Another educator, Daniel Herman, has fears about this new technology. He stated, “Is this moment more like the invention of the calculator, saving me from the tedium of long division, or more like the invention of the player piano, robbing us of what can be communicated only through human emotion?”
Something else to consider when using ChatGPT is that it can sometimes give incorrect responses. According to Business Insider, an author prompted ChatGPT to write an article, and it contained fake quotes from a CEO. Misinformation could be damaging to businesses or users. Public platform website Stack Overflow banned ChatGPT answers to programming questions because “the average rate of getting answers is too low”. Like many AI algorithms around today, this technology can create unexpected results. A lot of its sentences can be repetitive or robotic sounding as well.
While this technology is advancing, teachers are getting better at spotting if students have used Chat GPT on their schoolwork. The plagiarism detector, Turnitin, has created software that can tell if a student has used ChatGPT. There will also be “watermarks” added to Chat GPT’s answers so that if a student copies the text, it will be easy to notice. These developments certainly will make it more difficult for students to plagiarize.
AI technology has advanced rapidly over the last few years and its capabilities are shocking to see first-hand. As these changes inevitably occur, we need to be aware of the consequences and realize technologies like Chat GPT are tools and not a crutch for school assignments. I would argue that there is more risk than reward in that case. Ultimately, it’s fun to experiment with (such as the example below) but it should not be relied upon for schoolwork.
“Write a poem about a student getting caught plagiarizing because they used Chat GPT.” A student sat at his desk one day, a paper due, he had to pay But struggling to find the right words to say, he turned to ChatGPT without delay The answers came with ease and speed, the perfect phrases, he did read Copying and pasting, with no need to give credit where it was due, indeed But little did he know, the teacher’s eye was keen and sharp, she did not buy The words he wrote, so cleverly sly, were not his own, but rather a lie Caught red-handed, he could not deny, the evidence, as clear as the sky That he had cheated and tried to pass off ChatGPT’s words as his own, with pride His punishment, severe and just, a lesson learned, in trust That plagiarism, a breach of trust will always bring consequences, that must So, students heed this cautionary tale, and always remember to prevail Through hard work, effort, and to sail with integrity, honor, and without fail.
Liz Atkins
Web Technician