Essay: The Dangers of Pre-Made Writing
Humans will turn into robots as the increasing rate of technological advances impacts our society. The use of Artificial Intelligence is on the rise as applications like ChatGPT enter academia. Sabrina Ortiz from ZDNET describes ChatGPT as a natural language processing tool that is driven by Artificial Intelligence technology (Ortiz, 2023). Students and teachers using AI technology may not be aware of the future impact it will have on future generations. Even though AI technology enhances learning capabilities and aids students in their writing, the use of AI in education is unpredictable amongst future students. Students should limit or not work with applications like ChatGPT throughout their education until ethical policies regarding the use of Artificial Intelligence tools are made. These tools could potentially build an over-reliance that will affect their abilities to think independently and creatively, which can be reflected in the opinions of students using ChatGPT, teachers’ raised concerns about using ChatGPT, and the analysis of researchers analyzing ethics regarding artificial intelligence.
Due to the growing popularity of AI technology learning tools, students have begun to integrate these tools into their schoolwork. For example, students can become capable of creating an essay by typing in essay prompts into the ChatGPT generator. Students who analyzed nursing students who used ChatGPT in their assignments concluded that the AI application benefits students in their learning and writing along with providing students a guide for creating nursing interview questions and interventions (Chan et al., 2023, p. E200). However, in the study, one nurse stated “I have doubts when I use ChatGPT; I cannot validate the reference source. I prefer not to provide care without evidence-based support to ensure that it is a safe practice.” (Chan et. al., 2023, p. E201). ChatGPT can act as an excellent guide for students who are stuck on prompts and assignments by providing them with ideas that they can integrate into their work. Unfortunately, applications like ChatGPT are not reliable sources of information and do not provide evidence or sources when giving answers to users of their applications.
Similarly, teachers have raised concerns about the use of ChatGPT after learning about the application. Researchers from Cogent Education analyzed the effects of AI writing tools along with influencing students’ learning capabilities by interviewing EFL teachers on their perspective of AI writing tools (Marzuki et al., 2023, p. 1 & 5). They stated that EFL teachers were concerned about the possibility of students being over-reliant on such tools, due to the potential of the use of the tools inhibiting students’ critical thinking skills and problem-solving skills (Marzuki et al., 2023, p. 14). However, the teachers also recognized the benefits of using AI writing tools regarding student learning advantages, such as broadening and enhancing vocabulary and minimizing repetition in writing (Marzuki et al., 2023, p. 14). From a teacher’s perspective, it is clear that tools like ChatGPT could potentially alter a student’s learning capability if a student were to become over-reliant on the application. Even though the application can enhance students’ writing and broaden their vocabulary, they could forget how to write without the assistance of a writing tool.
The popularization of AI technology and applications has raised ethical concerns not only among educators but among researchers and users of these applications as well. Luckily, some researchers have provided solutions to take on the potential problems of the over-usage and dependency of applications like ChatGPT. For example, researchers analyzed students from the United Arab Emirates who used the ChatGPT, along with studying their views, concerns, and perceived ethics on the application (Farhi et al., 2023, p. 1). The researchers concluded that implementing practical guidelines, regarding contexts and restrictions of the application, will aid educational institutions in decision-making and policy development for the usage of ChatGPT. (Farhi et al., 2023, p. 6). Even though students have the freedom of choice in using applications like ChatGPT as tools in their studies, educational institutions must be aware of the potential misuse and problems that applications would bring into academia. For example, a teacher could allow students to use ChatGPT to generate ideas on what they could write their essays about, but could also permit students using the application to create a thesis for them at the same time. By determining how applications can be used in educational institutions, students will continue to not build and over-reliance on applications like ChatGPT.
Artificial Intelligence technology has drastically changed the world by providing ease for students in their learning and writing capabilities. However, students, teachers, and researchers have raised concerns over the potential misuse and problems that could affect students and educational institutions. Even though AI technology applications can be used as tools to aid students by providing them with ideas, the applications would potentially have negative impacts on student learning, which can range from students over-relying on applications, using unreliable sources in their work, and inhibiting students critical thinking skills, and writing skills (Marzuki et al., 2023, p. 14). Overall, students and teachers should limit the use of applications like ChatGPT until policies, rules, and ethics have been made in classrooms and in educational institutions on how to prevent misuse of AI technology and applications.
References
Chan, M. M. K., Wong, I. S. F., Yau, S. Y., & Lam, V. S. F. (2023). Critical Reflection on Using ChatGPT in Student Learning: Benefits or Potential Risks? Nurse Educator, 48(6), E200–E201. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNE.0000000000001476
Farhi, F., Jeljeli, R., Aburezeq, I., Dweikat, F., F., Al-shami, S., A., & Slamene, R. (2023). Analyzing the students’ views, concerns, and perceived ethics about chat GPT usage. Computers and Education. Artificial Intelligence, 100180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2023.100180
Marzuki, Widiati, U., Rusdin, D., Darwin, & Indrawati, I. (2023). The impact of AI writing tools on the content and organization of students’ writing: EFL teachers’ perspective. Cogent Education, 10(2). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2023.2236469
Ortiz, S. (2023). What is ChatGPT and why does it matter? Here’s what you need to know. ZDNET. https://www.zdnet.com/article/what-is-chatgpt-and-why-does-it-matter-heres-everything-you-need-to-know/