32% of Japanese University Students Use ChatGPT According to Survey

A recent survey of Japanese university students found that 32% of respondents have used the artificial intelligence chatbot, ChatGPT. The poll, conducted by a Japanese research group, found that students in science, technology, and agriculture fields were more likely to use ChatGPT than those in humanities, social science, education, medicine, dentistry, and pharmacology. Of those surveyed, 91.8% used ChatGPT to verify their work or make changes, such as generating reports and coursework, and almost three-quarters believed the chatbot enhanced their thinking abilities. However, some have warned that prolonged use of such technology may impede students’ creative and critical thinking skills and called for alternative ways of assessment. Despite concerns, some students felt the use of AI should not be prohibited entirely. ChatGPT is developed by US tech firm OpenAI and is trained on extensive internet data to simulate human-like conversations based on user inputs.