Irish students are currently grappling with the ethics of using powerful new artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as ChatGPT. Experts and citizens alike are theorizing the implications these AI generative tools will have on various industries, including journalism, customer services, and education. ChatGPT, in particular, has over 173 million global users, including students who use it to simplify complex text, draft essays, and other tasks.
Despite its many benefits, students may misuse it to evade doing their work with little regard for the unreliability of the content generated. Moreover, given that many third-level assignments rely on referencing academic articles and scholarly works, the unreliability of the ChatGPT tool poses challenges.
A recent survey of 1,000 students in the US found that over half of those asked consider using AI tools as cheating or plagiarism. However, tech-savvy students who recognize the immense benefit of generative AI may see the tools for what they are and yet use them anyway.
This summer, Irish third-level institutions will craft a consistent and standard AI policy ahead of the next academic term. However, as AI becomes increasingly sophisticated, pre-set policies may quickly become outdated. Thus, educators want to leverage the ethical and productive use of generative AI to improve students’ employability outcomes while developing critical thinking and information literacy skills around AI.
Some have begun to flip the traditional approach to assessment, requiring students to critique work generated by AI tools rather than writing their own. While these tools have immense benefits, they can perpetuate biases and stereotypes, a darker threat counterintuitive to third-level education principles.
If ChatGPT and other AI tools play a role in subtly changing our subconscious and reinforcing biases, there will be devastating implications for our students and society at large. Ultimately it is essential to balance the development of knowledge with new information technologies that open minds, foster critical thinking and opinions while embracing diversity of thought and inclusivity.
