If you’re one of the very few people who haven’t heard of ChatGPT yet, this human-like AI chatbot uses OpenAI’s GPT3 (Generative Pre-Trained Transformer 3) technology to allow users to converse with the AI about almost anything.
And yes by almost anything we mean everything and anything, from writing you a poem to summarizing a book or recommending a movie.
Only a few days after its release, ChatGPT became so popular that it took social media by storm and became a source of information and content writing for companies all over the world. Things did not stop there. ChatGPT started to be recommended to students all over the world not only as a source of information but also as a tool that helps them in writing essays and codes or in gathering important information for research purposes within minutes.
And this is when the division of opinions regarding ChatGPT’s effect on education began. Some people suggested the chatbot as a helpful guide for students and others saw it as a cheating mechanism that impacts them negatively more than it benefits them.
So, is ChatGPT a beneficial tool for students and educators? Or is it a menace on the quality of education?
AI like any other technology isn’t good or bad on its own. It’s the way we use it that makes it beneficial or harmful. Therefore, ChatGPT can be either good or bad depending on the way it is used in education.
When students rely blindly on the chatbot for their assignments, whether it be writing essays or solving mathematical and coding problems without putting in any personal effort, they are not learning or acquiring new skills which will eventually hinder their education.
However, when they are using it as a way to gather information or as a starting point for their research, projects or assignment, it will be a beneficial reference that guides them through their learning experience.
But ChatGPT is free and easily available, so how can we make sure it serves as a positive tool for education?
The role of educational institutions and governments comes into play here. It is important now more than ever to keep on upgrading the education system and accommodating it to keep up with the technological advancements which enables the use of such tools responsibly by students and educators.
To learn more about this topic, watch Zaka’s CEO Christophe Zoghbi’s interview with Al-Qahera News channel on January 21st, during which he talks about ChatGPT’s effect on education and how to face it.
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