Key points:
- Educators are worried about AI tools enabling plagiarism and cheating
- Banning ChatGPT prevents students and educators from using AI in new ways
With the rising popularity of ChatGPT, many educators and administrators have trepidation toward the new technology, seeing it as a threat both to students and schools. Many teachers and educational institutions have even gone as far as to ban ChatGPT due to concerns of cheating and academic integrity. But the reality is that AI is here to stay, and its abilities will only increase with time. Rather than banning the tool, it’s important that educators work to understand and embrace this new technology for all it has to offer.
While there are legitimate concerns about ChatGPT and cheating, let’s not forget that educators had similar worries about the use of the internet in classrooms just 20 years ago. And now, doing a Google search is just a basic tool for students to put together an essay. Still, many are quick to point out that AI’s capabilities are different and, in many ways, that is true.
Because it’s designed to respond to queries in conversational, human-like ways, ChatGPT has instilled fears that plagiarism and cheating are easier than ever before. But with the rise of AI, we have also seen a rise in great AI detection tools that can help distinguish between AI and human-generated content that can mitigate the concerns over cheating. Similar to AI tools themselves, these detection tools will only grow stronger and more reliable over time.
While it’s important to stay cognizant of the challenges these tools present, banning them will only result in missed opportunities for growth among educators, students, and curriculums at large. Instead, educators should consider the many ways they can leverage ChatGPT and AI to foster creativity and critical thinking among their students. As teachers integrate it into classrooms, they will see how useful, exciting, and compelling it can be to students and educators alike.
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