Have you ever written an essay, but couldn’t think of the words to use? Many students have. Issues like these can completely halt a student’s academic progress, and sometimes can even end up in a completely unwritten essay, with the student giving up all hope. There are many ways to solve this, some easier than others. And though many students may have methods of getting their mind back on track, a large number of students might turn to a site like ChatGPT, a generative artificial intelligence program that has been on the rise. Generative Artificial Intelligences have emerged as groundbreaking technological advancements that are transforming various areas of society, including education. In the modern school system, where technology is being increasingly integrated into teaching and learning, generative AI has an iron grip.
What is “Generative AI?”
The term “Generative AI” (GAI for short) refers to a type of artificial intelligence that can produce various kinds of content. This may include imagery, audio, data, and in this case, text. Unlike traditional AI systems, which are rule-based and follow predefined instructions, ChatGPT (Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer), and other programs like it, uses information from the internet and pattern recognition software to be able to converse with you and use accurate data. This is invaluable to a student in any context. The AI can also synthesize data based on many sources, fabricate paragraphs upon paragraphs of text, and even hold a conversation with you about your day. This also means that students can use the program in lieu of gathering their own data or writing their own responses to questions.
How does it affect students?
The school system has developed ever-present and ever-growing technology to combat this issue. Using AI detection is a bit unreliable, though. Detection programs use predictive technology to determine what’s most likely to come next after a sentence, and match that with what different AI’s are likely to put there. Basically, the detector uses a GAI of its own and measures how similarly your submission matches it. This may sound sketchy, but that’s because it is. Detection programs like these aren’t very accurate, and they end up tagging many innocent students as users of a GAI. This is then brought up between the student and the school, and the problem is solved between the two parties.
This is a dangerous reality for us in the real world as well. Not only is the school system affected by GAI advancements, but artists, journalists, and analysts all face real issues within their lives because of this technology. Even students face many issues with the use of a GAI such as: Privacy concerns, quality control issues, and overdependence. Many of these programs gather information on how you are using the AI, and use this info to target ads directly at your interest and much worse. These GAIs are also extremely unreliable when giving data; It will often create fake data sets and fake world events. This obviously would not slide in the classroom (unless your teacher doesn’t read your essays). The most worrying thing of all, however, is the possibility of overdependence on GAI that students may form after prolonged use. After using it once and getting a good grade because the teacher skimmed it, a student might look to use it for every assignment, creating a bad habit. This bad habit could carry along with the student into college or the workplace, in which using GAI could end your career and any chance of having one if caught. For example, creating a spreadsheet of data with a GAI and there happens to be wrong info put into the sheet; This could not only get you fired, but prevent one from getting hired from anywhere nearby.
What does this mean for the future?
Generative AI has the potential to transform the school system by personalizing learning, enhancing content creation, and supporting special needs education. It can also lighten the burden on educators, freeing up their time for more meaningful interactions with students. However, to properly harness such a great tool, it needs to be thoroughly researched first and put through many channels before determining whether or not it can be used for teaching. This applies to all of the aforementioned subjects as well. This article could have even been written by a program like ChatGPT, and the reader may not be the wiser. So the question is: Was this article written by an FIHS student, or was it completely generated by an AI?
