Don’t ban students from using ChatGPT when they will have to work with AI: Universities should not ban students from utilizing generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT to complete assignments – from essays and presentation slides to computing codes and math problems. AI tools can help students finish their tasks quickly and easily, and are an invaluable learning resource.
Rather than prohibiting the use of generative AI tools, universities should embrace their use as a teaching aid to spark creativity, support personalized learning, and stimulate engagement. AI programs can provide prompts to inspire students to develop their own ideas and overcome writer’s block, and generate additional examples and analogies to help students understand concepts better.
ChatGPT brings an unprecedented level of convenience and speed to completing tasks, and by incorporating AI tools into teaching, universities can set students up to be better prepared to use AI when they enter the workforce. Nowadays, companies are increasingly using generative AI tools to take over many human tasks, such as those in the financial sector, publishing industry, and even in Hollywood for screenwriting.
Students will continue to explore AI tools regardless of a ban, and universities can use tools such as GPTZero to detect AI-generated writing, although this can lead to a cat-and-mouse game. Therefore, rather than policing the use of ChatGPT, universities should look into utilizing the technology to encourage learning and engagement.
ChatGPT is a generative AI tool created by OpenAI, which claimed the Guinness World Record for the fastest-growing consumer app ever. Since its launch, the program has been used by over 100 million people and can quickly answer questions, generate computer code, and create realistic images or artwork from descriptions in natural language.
Goldman Sachs estimates that the use of generative AI tools could drive a 7 percent, or roughly $7 trillion, increase in the global economy by 2033. Moreover, according to Salesforce research, 84 percent of marketing professionals are already making use of AI in their work; the World Economic Forum (WEF) projects that 23 percent of jobs in China’s financial sector could be replaced by AI by 2027.
Christopher S. Tang is a distinguished Professor at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. His research focuses on operations management and its overlap with technology, AI among other topics. Professor Tang is an AI expert and has studied the potential and consequences AI tools can have on business and educational operations. His work touches on what universities should and should not do in order to best prepare their students for the work-force.
