May 10th 2024.
Let's talk about the use of AI in education and the ethical questions it raises. It's no secret that technology has become an integral part of our lives, and this includes the way we learn and study. Take, for example, 16-year-old student Fiore, who recently found himself in a predicament when he realized he had an English essay due the next day. Instead of panicking and pulling an all-nighter, Fiore turned to ChatGPT, an AI chatbot, to assist him in writing the entire essay in a matter of seconds. As he puts it, "why open a book when you have technology at your fingertips?" It's 2024 after all. And with just a few clicks, Fiore was able to input the assignment criteria, number of paragraphs, and formatting information, leaving the AI to do the rest.
Fiore admits that using ChatGPT was "incredibly easy" and has since submitted at least five essays this way. He has no regrets, stating that he started using the chatbot because it's "much easier than actually doing work" and his grades have improved as well. However, he does proofread the essays and occasionally edits a few words to make them sound "more organic." Despite the potential risk of plagiarism detection or being caught by his teachers, Fiore isn't afraid of the consequences. In fact, he doesn't believe his teachers will go through the effort of checking for AI-generated content and his school doesn't have any rules against using AI technology. Even his parents are unaware of his use of ChatGPT, but Fiore doesn't think they would necessarily care.
However, not everyone sees the use of AI technology in education as a shortcut or a form of cheating. 23-year-old Elizabeth, who is pursuing a master's degree in journalism, regularly uses ChatGPT in her studies. She sees it as a tool to assist her in understanding complex academic materials and even in essay writing by asking the AI to rephrase her writing to make it more succinct. Elizabeth has also found that ChatGPT helps her find sources when researching for essays. She admits that she was initially worried about plagiarism but has learned how to use the tool responsibly, which has even been discussed by her lecturers. She also notes that the use of AI among her peers is becoming increasingly common, but there is a sense of shame surrounding any misuse of the technology.
For some students, like 22-year-old Maya Seth, AI technology has been a valuable resource in overcoming challenges. Maya was diagnosed with dyslexia at age 11 and found it difficult to keep up with reading materials during her design degree. While she received one-to-one support from her university, she also used ChatGPT to summarize academic articles, allowing her to quickly determine the key points and save time. Maya also found that AI technology can help with creative blocks, providing a starting point for her writing. She emphasizes, however, that it's important to read the whole article and not just rely on the AI summary as it's not always accurate.
But as with any technology, there are ethical concerns to consider. Chris Carron, CEO of plagiarism detection software company Turnitin, warns against using AI to "outsource homework and essays," as it can hinder students' critical thinking and communication skills. He also notes that after analyzing 200 million essays, they found that a significant number contained AI-generated content. However, not all students use AI technology to cheat. Some, like Elizabeth and Maya, see it as a legitimate tool to enhance their learning and assist them in their studies. Ultimately, it's up to each individual to use AI technology responsibly and not rely on it as a substitute for learning and studying.
The use of AI in education has been a hot topic, with many debating whether it is cheating or simply using technology to one's advantage. For 16-year-old student Fiore, the answer is clear - when faced with an English essay due the next day, his first thought was not to spend the night cramming from a book. After all, it's 2024 and technology is at our fingertips. Instead, he turned to ChatGPT, an AI chatbot, to write the entire essay for him within seconds. All he had to do was input the assignment criteria, required number of paragraphs, and formatting information, and ChatGPT did the rest. Fiore describes this process as "incredibly easy" and has used it for at least five essays, with no regrets.
"I started using ChatGPT because it's much easier than actually doing the work, and my grades were suffering," Fiore admits. "Most of the time, the essays are just English assignments that I simply don't feel like doing, or they are based on reading material I don't want to read." While ChatGPT generates "pretty convincing" essays, Fiore always proofreads them and sometimes edits a few words to make them sound more natural. And it seems to be working, as he has been receiving better grades.
Despite concerns about plagiarism detectors or teachers catching onto AI-generated essays, Fiore is not worried about getting caught. He believes that his teachers won't go through the effort of checking for AI-generated content, and his school has not explicitly banned the use of AI. Furthermore, his parents are unaware of his use of ChatGPT, but he doesn't think they would necessarily care. "I will absolutely be using ChatGPT for future assignments, English or not," Fiore asserts confidently.
However, Chris Carron, CEO of plagiarism detection software company Turnitin, warns against using AI chatbots for homework. He believes that relying on AI to "outsource homework and essays" can hinder students' ability to learn and develop critical thinking and communication skills that are crucial in the workplace. After analyzing 200 million essays, Turnitin found that more than one in ten contained at least 20% AI-generated text, and six million had at least 80% AI content.
But not all students are using AI to cheat. 23-year-old Elizabeth, who is pursuing a master's degree in journalism, regularly uses ChatGPT in her work. She finds that the chatbot helps her understand complex academic reading materials by simplifying difficult text. She also uses it to rephrase her writing and make it more succinct, which some may consider cheating. However, Elizabeth sees it as a helpful tool for her studies and has learned to use it responsibly with guidance from her lecturers.
Elizabeth notes that the use of AI among her peers is "pretty common now," but there is a sense of shame surrounding its use for cheating. She believes that there is a fine line between using ChatGPT to inspire essay writing and using it as a substitute for studying or as a shortcut. "I never copy and paste the output," she explains, "but it gives me a blueprint to write more clearly. As a student, it helps to have something that can break down abstract concepts."
For Maya Seth, a 22-year-old public relations executive, AI has been a valuable resource in her studies. Maya was diagnosed with dyslexia at a young age and often struggled to keep up with reading materials during her design degree. While she received one-to-one support from her university, she also used ChatGPT to summarize academic articles and determine the key points. This helped her save time and decide which articles were worth reading. She also found that the AI chatbot could help with creative blocks by providing thought-provoking starting points.
However, Maya emphasizes the importance of reading the entire article, not just the AI summary, as the technology is not always accurate. "Studying a creative subject, AI was also a great way to get over creative blocks by using it as a way to make my blank page less blank," she explains. "I didn't use anything the AI produced, but it was a good thought-provoking starting point." In the end, it all comes down to responsible use of technology, and for Maya, ChatGPT has been a helpful tool in her education.
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