OpenAI Says ChatGPT Belongs in Classrooms, Critics Say It’ll Help Students Cheat

OpenAI has managed to become one of the foremost tech companies out there, largely due to the notoriety it’s obtained thanks to ChatGPT. It turns out that the up and coming tech juggernaut is trying to get into education because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up providing new avenues for its AI.

The company’s Chief Operating Officer, Brad Lightcap, stated at a San Francisco conference that teachers are already trying to incorporate ChatGPT into their classrooms. Hence, OpenAI will be forming a team next year that will look into ways in which ChatGPT can be brought into the educational system with all things having been considered and taken into account.

In spite of the fact that this is the case, some are criticizing this move, stating that the presence of an LLM using chatbot in the classroom could make it easier for students to cheat than might have been the case otherwise. Some schools have gone so far as to ban the use of ChatGPT entirely, such as the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest in the nation, which became among the first to ban it on December 12th, 2022.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that students seem to have a different opinion entirely. According to a recent survey, as many as 85% of students stated that they felt like ChatGPT was superior to human tutors. Of course, educators have valid concerns when it comes to ChatGPT.

Using it for research is one thing, but many students end up utilizing it to draft entire essays, something that allows them to completely and utterly circumvent the educational process. Another thing that bears mentioning is that ChatGPT still hallucinates, or in other words spits out misinformation or non factual data. This makes it less than ideal in the context of research as well.

Though OpenAI will likely push forward and begin aggressively lobbying to get their tech incorporated into the schooling system, there will be significant push back as well as practical hurdles that will need to be overcome. Educators would have to be convinced that cheating will not be possible, and the issue of false information will also need to be addressed sooner rather than later.

Photo: Unsplash

Read next: The Best ChatGPT Alternatives in 2024
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