Artificial Intelligence in the classroom

How ChatGPT affects in-class learning

YANA KOURETAS / NEWS EDITOR / THE USD VISTA

Individuals all across the world now have a unique opportunity to employ an Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool to create written responses to various prompts and questions, as a human might produce. Chat Generated Pre-trained Transformer (GPT) is an AI Chatbot, co-founded by Elon Musk with a San Francisco-based startup, OpenAI. The platform utilizes a compilation of text data to generate summaries for long texts, answers to questions, written responses to prompts and more. 

At the moment, the service is still in the research review stage, according to Forbes, yet users can access it for free simply by making an account on the company’s website. Because of ChatGPT’s eruption in popularity, users may log on and be faced with an “at capacity” notice or have trouble creating an account during peak times of usage congestion. 

Although Chatbot — which are computer programs that are made to converse with humans over the internet — have existed for years now, not all of them employ AI the same, and some don’t even use it. Though ChaptGPT is comparable to other language model tools like Google and Meta, as noted by Business Insider, it is unique in offering a program for direct user experimentation. 

In light of its burgeoning traction, ChatGPT has sparked many questions regarding its place in a school classroom and in the work of students. ChatGPT’s capabilities pose a dilemma for some institutions who worry that its implementation by students could mean crossing into the threshold of plagiarism of written assignments and homework responses. In addition, there is worry about the lack of incentive for learning, should students use the Chatbot to complete their assigned work. In fact, some schools have taken measures to discourage students from using it. The New York Times reported that New York City and Seattle public schools restricted access to ChatGPT on school computers and networks. 

Despite mounting uneasiness of ChatGPT’s repercussions on education, some point to the inevitability that AI systems will continue to provide feasible solutions to problems and needs. Because of the lack of reliable methods to discern when something was created by ChatGPT, some educators urge institutions to weave it into the curriculum in a responsible way, as students will need to adjust to a way of life where AI is increasingly more present, according to  Time, Educators suggest that teachers should lean on ChatGPT for new ways to personalize their teaching approach and to prepare students to encounter AI in the professional world.

Although USD has not yet designated any parameters for students’ usage of ChatGPT, professors can elect to amend their assignments and curriculum on their own. 

Dr. Nikki Usher (they/them) of the Department of Communication discussed their standpoint on how professors need to become more creative to ensure that students can still maximize their learning in the classroom. 

“The semester is very young and many of us haven’t had the chance to talk with other members of the faculty yet about what we think of this,” Usher said. “I think that the general consensus is that, if writing becomes less valued because AI can do it better, maybe we need to think about other ways of students showing that they understand content.”

  USD senior Genesis Capellán considered the consequences of ChatGPT diminishing the need for creators to flourish in school and out in the world.

    “I feel that ChatGPT is a scary tool. What I don’t like about it is that it is starting to become a thing where it can take away opportunities from creators,” Capellán said. “I feel like when people come up with things from their mind, it is a form of language that no one else can find but the person within.” 

  Capellán also pointed out that individuals may no longer find the need to apply their skills to  in their work. 

  “It can definitely help with brainstorming, but when you take the tool and use it as something of a product in and of itself, it becomes a true danger,” Capellán said. “I myself have never tried ChatGPT, and a part of me doesn’t want to. I feel like once we become comfortable with a tool like this, we will abandon the tools within us.” 

  Dr. Charles Pateros of the Engineering Department released a guideline for his students stating that if ChatGPT or other methods are used to assist in producing any documentation, proper citation for the tool is still required, thus encouraging his students to use what works best for them. 

  However, Pateros facilitates classroom work so that students still have to display their comprehension of the material. 

“I have made the tool available to my students. But the purpose of this class isn’t for the students to write. I have them use an online resource to learn various topics, and then they need to digest those topics and present them back,” Pateros said. “If someone takes a shortcut to make their documentation easier, it’s not going to improve their grade.” 

Altogether, Pateros acknowledged that ChatGPT is now a resource for students and that accommodations may be made to manage, not prohibit, its role in the classroom.

“It’s out there. But what really matters is whether the students understand the material,” Pateros said. “I just ask them to document their interaction with the tool, and I might learn something from that.”

The company announced that it will offer extended services for $20 a month, under ChatGPT Plus, which includes constant access to the chatbox, precedence with new features and improvements and faster response rates, according to the The New York Times. 

While USD has not made any campus-wide decisions about the extent to which ChatGPT can or will be implemented or prohibited, it is evident that AI tools may begin to revolutionize student habits and learning styles. and outside of the classroom.