ChatGPT may not be a bad thing for education

Educators and school administrators are becoming increasingly concerned over the proliferation of ChatGPT and other AI-based educational tools. Some see it as a threat to education, especially in English and writing.

However, ChatGPT might not be all bad. Some aspects of the innovative AI chatbot can provide value to those in the education sector. Can ChatGPT become an integral part of the modern learning system?

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An Overview of ChatGPT

ChatGPT, an AI-powered conversational chatbot, is all anyone has been talking about lately. The AI model uses reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF) to form humanlike conversations with the user. It's becoming a widely used tool across several industries, such as marketing, finance and, more recently, education.

ChatGPT is trained with RLHF data but relies on generative AI and natural language processing (NLP). NLP allows traditional AI bots to generate three types of data: auditory, visual and text-based. After a user enters a prompt into ChatGPT, the model replies with an answer almost immediately, providing mostly correct solutions and more information about the topic.

Concerns Over ChatGPT in Education

People worldwide began discussing the general public's perception of AI, especially after ChatGPT's release. According to Pew Research Center data, around 45 percent of Americans surveyed are equally excited and concerned about the rise of AI. However, many of these feelings are dependent on the AI itself and why it's being used.

Education professionals have come forward to discuss their opinions on ChatGPT and how it will impact their industry. In a recent article in The Atlantic, Daniel Herman, an English teacher with 12 years of experience, describes his shock after seeing what ChatGPT can produce. Herman's article is titled "The End of High School English."

Herman isn’t the only one expressing concern over the role of ChatGPT in education. Some claim that the rise of ChatGPT will blur the line between students' authentic, original work and AI-rendered text. Students may use the bot to write essays, finish assignments, find answers to challenging questions or calculate math problems. It seems as though the AI has already proven useful in these scenarios.

Although ChatGPT is open and free to the public, the largest school district in the country -- New York City's -- recently issued a blanket ban on the tool. It cited "potential negative impacts on learning" as its reason.

How ChatGPT Can Improve Education at All Levels

Despite some of the concerns educators and administrators have over ChatGPT, several elements of the AI prove valuable at all levels of the education system.

Teachers can leverage ChatGPT to create age-appropriate lesson plans at the primary level. Children as young as 5 or 6 are often limited in their ability to use technology. They may use tablets or PCs to access educational content or applications, but they're not usually searching the internet for information like older students do. ChatGPT might be less useful for kids learning their ABCs, but it can benefit those that are more advanced.

Middle and high school educators can use ChatGPT as a guide on best teaching students. Telling kids how to use ChatGPT properly can be more beneficial than outright banning it or viewing it as an easy way to plagiarize assignments.

ChatGPT can be used as a tool to fill gaps where traditional teaching methods lack. It can help educators fine-tune their teaching methods to ensure their students are receiving the best, most engaging learning opportunities.

ChatGPT also has a place on college campuses. Some educational professionals are suggesting that professors and students use it to form first drafts of essays or as a tool to double-check their work. For example, suppose a student uses ChatGPT to write an essay. They can look at their initial result and decide how to make their own revisions to improve it.

It's already established that ChatGPT has its fair share of limitations. In a recent U.S. News & World Report article, one professor at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst found that ChatGPT solved math questions incorrectly. When asked to write long essays, the AI produced a mediocre-at-best report with false citations. The main point is that the AI chatbot is not perfect by any means.

One student at Princeton even created GPTZero, an AI application that can determine if something is written or completed by ChatGPT. With this tool, students' likelihood of plagiarizing could decrease significantly.

Handling the Rise of ChatGPT in the Education Sector

There are seemingly infinite possibilities with ChatGPT, which makes it highly concerning for those working on teaching future generations. What if a student turns in an essay written by ChatGPT? How will they be disciplined? Is there any way to prove they used it?

These questions only scratch the surface of what's to come for ChatGPT, but the bot also has some positive implications for those in the education industry. Instead of viewing this tool as a threat to education, teachers should give it a chance in the classroom and see if it provides any value.

Image Credit: hxdbzxy / Shutterstock

Devin Partida writes about AI, apps and technology at ReHack.com, where she is Editor-in-Chief.