ChatGPT is a technology that promises to revolutionize higher education. Its promise of instantaneous productivity has many fans, despite questions about its accuracy and accuracy. Readily accessible technology like ChatGPT can, ironically, increase the digital divide by exacerbating existing problems such as poor internet connectivity and access to a wealth of information.
At the same time, some teachers and educators in the field of higher education have embraced this new technology without critically discussing the ethical implications. Issues such as the credibility of ChatGPT’s responses and the way it can be used in assessments need to be taken into account. For example, teachers of literature, writing and academic writing should be mindful of how they use these technologies so that students can spend their time engaging deeply with texts, learn to critically compare them and raise their reading ability.
Arguably, ChatGPT and other technologies can be put to better use in other areas, such as digital humanities and the use of technology within the arts and humanities. In the West, certain limitations have been imposed on the use of this technology in class work, in order to avoid privileging technology over critical engagement. This serves to resist the idea of ‘quick-fix’ solutions versus deep learning and understanding.
It is necessary to question the implications of the new discourse in education. Is it really true that so-called ‘skills’ and ‘concrete outcomes’ are a bare necessity for all courses and fields? Is this discourse of ‘skills’ and ‘concrete outcomes’ worth it if it comes at the cost of introducing ethical considerations into the discussion? The current trend in education ought to facilitate reasoned and meaningful pauses before students embark on their journey of knowledge.
The well-known course in Western universities, ‘Great Books’, has been designed to guide students in terms of critical engagement, as well as addressing potential biases. Aficionados of this course point to its ethic-based foundations as the driving force behind its successes. Ethics must, of course, inform the way ChatGPT is used in education, too.
Therefore, educators must be mindful of the ethical implications of ChatGPT and be careful in deciding how to use it. It is important to encourage meaningful reflection and to create an environment where students can ask meaningful questions about texts and social phenomena, rather than prioritizing easy answers. No matter how attractive this technology might be, it does not replace rigorous education or critical thought.
