The world of educational technology is taking another step forward as more companies embrace ChatGPT, or Generative Pre-trained Transformer Four, to help student performance. AI has quickly become a necessity in classrooms and is staring to shape the way students learn. Chegg, a leading learning platform, has recently announced the CheggMate, an AI-powered study aid. The digital assistant can provide students with customized help for whatever topics they are learning, and – for those with questions beyond the scope of Chegg’s library content – input their queries in any format, from text to photos to diagrams.
Chief Academic Officer Nina Huntemann of Chegg sees a powerful opportunity for students to use these AI resources to advance their learning process. “AI provides an incredible opportunity for students to be aided by a digital companion that supports and enhances their learning and helps to prepare them for the future,” she said.
Brainly, another top-tier learning platform, has also entered into the AI realm. Last month, they began allowing beta access to its “Simplify” and “Expand” functions. These updates, powered by GPT-4, assist the learner in searching for a discussion in a more personalised way and understanding more complex answers.
Khan Academy has begun its own AI pilot, Khanmigo. It is capable of providing students help as patient and human-like as a real-life tutor. In a blog post describing GPT-4, CEO Sal Khan said he hopes the technology will help reduce the digital divide between students in terms of help with studies.
In light of potential errors or mistakes from AI, Turnitin announced its ‘state-of-the-art’ AI writing detector. It can detect up to 98% of texts written by ChatGPT, with less than 1% false-positive rate, for those who worry about potential plagiarism due to using AI. As the usage of AI continues to expand, the importance of trust and integrity is at the forefront of users’ minds.
Dan Rosensweig, CEO of Chegg, is confident that this technology can revolutionize the learning process. “It’s a tutor in your pocket,” he said. Moving forward, edtech companies and educators will take every possible step to ensure that AI is used properly and safely in classrooms.
