Ever since ChatGPT burst into the spotlight last November, demonstrating an ability to generate essays, poems and conversations from the briefest of prompts, the arms race among global tech giants has intensified.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is now making its way into the classroom, putting a spotlight on how students learn and raising questions about the value of higher education.
“I think education is going to have a huge reckoning,’’ said Andrea Jones-Rooy, a professor of data science at New York University.
Aside from concerns that chatbots are making it easier for students to cheat, Jones-Rooy said the rise of AI is a long-overdue “wake-up call’’ that is forcing institutions to rethink how they’re preparing students for the real world.
To adapt, professors will need to get creative and develop new methods of teaching and assessing less-defined skills like critical thinking, which she says will always require in-person interaction.
Universities will also need to better outline what they offer, especially as tuition fees soar across the world.
One advantage of AI could be increasing access for students who need extra help and better tailoring standardised tests to assess their understanding of a subject, says Pamela Gay, an astronomer and senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute.
However, she fears a greater reliance on online systems could have a disparate impact if access to the Internet remains unequal.
A coalition of state and private schools in the UK are so concerned about the speed at which AI is developing, they are setting up a cross-sector body to advise “bewildered” educators on how best to use the technology, according to a Financial Times report.
In a wider sense, institutions are facing myriad challenges in crafting an immediate response to the sudden emergence of the powerful AI apps, according to a new Unesco survey of more than 450 schools and universities.
Less than 10% of schools and universities follow formal guidance on using wildly popular AI tools, like the chatbot software ChatGPT, according to Unesco.
Proactively, governments worldwide are in the process of shaping appropriate policy responses in a rapidly evolving education landscape, while further developing or refining national strategies on AI, data protection, and other regulatory frameworks, says Unesco.
The economic potential of generative AI systems goes far beyond web search. They could allow companies to take their automated customer service to a new level of sophistication, producing a relevant answer the first time so users aren’t left waiting to speak to a human.
There are limitations too.
The answers it pieces together from second-hand information can sound so authoritative that users may assume it has verified their accuracy.
As machine intelligence becomes more sophisticated, so does its potential for trickery and mischief-making. Microsoft’s AI bot Tay was taken down in 2016 after some users taught it to make racist and sexist remarks.
Another developed by Meta Platforms encountered similar issues in 2022.
OpenAI has tried to train ChatGPT to refuse inappropriate requests, limiting its ability to spout hate speech and misinformation. But some users have found work-arounds.
For sure, AI is no passing fad. The fact that many of the world’s largest tech companies are embracing it is evidence of that.
And there’s little doubt generative AI will shake up education, but how faculties and institutions will adapt is a key concern.
“AI can enhance our thinking, or replace it. Making sure it does the former calls for good policy, careful management and the intelligent application of intelligent systems,” writes Fahad Badar, a senior Qatar Qatari banker, in a Gulf Times column.
Globally, Unesco is developing policy guidelines on the use of generative AI in education and research, as well as frameworks of AI competencies for students and teachers in classrooms.