Chat GPT, an artificial intelligence software released on November 30, 2022 can provide many benefits to schools, such as increased student engagement, improved efficiency and accuracy of grading, and increased access to information. However, there are some potential downsides, such as violations of student privacy, reduced creativity, and over-dependence on automated systems.

The preceding paragraph was created by Chat GPT software in under 20 seconds by simply entering the request, “50 word thesis about Chat GPT usage in schools: downsides and benefits”.

This new technology is perhaps one of the most advanced artificial intelligence tools created to date; not only does Chat GPT provide scholarly information almost instantly upon any request, but it can also be used freely by anyone with access to the internet.

Chat GPT’s incredibly smart and efficient abilities have stirred a large controversy as students and teachers examined the future of academic credibility in schools.

Although its release was only a few months ago, Chat GPT has already heavily impacted the field of education worldwide. English teacher Amber Sims expressed conflicting initial thoughts about the software’s potential.

“My first thought was just amazement. It was such an uncharted territory,” Sims said. “When technology is so new, I think part of what makes it scary, or uncomfortable, for teachers is that there’s so much that’s unknown.”

English is the class Chat GPT has the largest ability to influence, and, looking forward, teachers will have to adapt to their students having total access to this type of AI software.

“I think my fear is just that reliance on something that’s used as a tool is causing students to not allow themselves to practice critical thinking connections and interpretation analysis,” Sims said. “Instead they’re going to rely on something else to do the thinking for them.”

Many students’ first impressions of Chat GPT led them to believe it would be more beneficial than detrimental to the future of academics.

“I think that it’s a useful tool. Chat GPT can help you understand something complex and explain it in an easier way,” Freshman Emerson DePew said. “I’ve used it for some research before because it’s a really good way to compile lots of information into a readable format.”

As with any new technology, there are both positives and negatives to this AI software.

“There’s not a lot of things in place to be able to protect kids from submitting a Chat GPT essay without any edits in it,” Junior Preston Gordman said. “I think in the future, it’ll be a good resource to help teach students to write a better essay.”

Chat GPT can be seen as helpful for tasks such as basic research or formatting an essay, but it can also come in the way of a student’s credibility and raise questions of whether it was the student or the AI who completed the assignment. This leads many to examine how education will adapt to this advanced technology both inside and outside the classroom.

“There are already writing detectors that exist kind of like turnitin.com that detect if Chat GPT or another AI wrote the text,” Sims said. “But technology isn’t going to stop advancing, so the role of education will have to adapt. If it’s always going to exist now, we can’t ignore it; so, it’s figuring out how to utilize it in a way that helps kids be modern learners and citizens but still be able to practice their skills.”

There is no doubt that AI will continue to advance more and more, and nobody knows for sure what the future holds for this powerful software.

What is known is that Chat GPT is completely changing the level and frequency of academic dishonesty in schools worldwide, and its power truly knows no limits.

Students Respond…

91% of students have heard of Chat GPT; 31% have used it.

Chat GPT in Action

Examples of requests that can be asked of the Chat GPT AI software along with the answers it provides are below. These examples are focused on the common high school English novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. Requests increase in complexity from Levels 1-4 and are reflective of common prompts in English classes.

LEVEL 1: Simple Summary

Request: Write a 100 word summary of “To Kill A Mockingbird.”

Response: “To Kill a Mockingbird” is a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Harper Lee, published in 1960. Set in the Depression-era South, the story follows Scout Finch, a young girl growing up in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, and her experiences with racism and injustice. Scout’s father, Atticus Finch, a respected lawyer, defends a black man named Tom Robinson who is falsely accused of raping a white woman, and faces intense prejudice and bigotry from the town’s white population. Through Scout’s eyes, the novel explores themes of race, inequality, and the loss of innocence, and has become a classic of modern American literature.

LEVEL 2: Essay Thesis

Request: Write a thesis for an essay about literary devices in “To Kill A Mockingbird.”

Response: In “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Harper Lee employs various literary devices such as symbolism, foreshadowing, and irony to effectively convey the themes of racism, injustice, and the loss of innocence, and to create a powerful and memorable reading experience.

LEVEL 3: Make comparisons to another text

Request: Compare “To Kill A Mockingbird” to “Animal Farm.”

Response: Theme of Power Struggle: While “To Kill a Mockingbird” explores the theme of racial inequality and social injustice in the American South during the 1930s, “Animal Farm” depicts the struggle for power and control among the animals on a farm, allegorically representing the Russian Revolution and the rise of Soviet communism. In both novels, the theme of power struggle is central to the plot and is portrayed through different literary devices.

LEVEL 4: pull out quotes with specific page numbers

Request: A quote that characterizes Atticus Finch with page numbers.

Response: “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” (Chapter 3, page 39). This quote embodies Atticus’ belief in empathy and the importance of seeing things from another’s perspective. It reflects his ability to understand and connect with people regardless of their backgrounds
or beliefs.