As AI-based technology continues to rise, what harm does it pose to students?

Over the years, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has proven to be the game changer in how ordinary students like us can interact with technology. AI has grown from being the ordinary search filter that narrows results for an individual to a real-life simulator of events. This poses a threat to students because such tools create fabricated proof of unreal events.

Recently, companies have been building simulator spaces where a user can select an AI–generated avatar and enter a text prompt thereby simulating a video. Some spaces, including FaceApp, allow individuals to to generate their own avatars, which can be their friends, and make mocking videos to demean those individuals. However, this technology is still in its early phases. Researchers have already released papers detailing such a technology but do not have a full blueprint yet.

AI Generated Image, Courtesy: Flickr

However, of greater concern is the rise of AI-generated text from prompts. The popular technology for this use is ChatGPT. ChatGPT cuts down working time on assignment and pulls information from credible sources to respond to the given prompt. In a survey of thirty Silver Creek students, nineteen said that they use ChatGPT for recreational or educational purposes. This result is extremely troubling as some students substitute ChatGPT text as their own to finish assignments quickly. 

For teachers, ChatGPT has proven to be a menace though many can discern true work from artificially generated work.  Furthermore, AI text detectors exist, which can hamper the use of ChatGPT use on assignments.

Whether or not AI technology will continue to bloom, we must be careful to avoid using these tools excessively. Though difficult, students must continue to use the traditional methods of completing assignments. Only then is learning possible.