With OpenAI’s ChatGPT, there have been reports coming out about students using ChatGPT for their homework or assignments, leading to teachers and universities calling for a ban on the AI model. And then, there were reports that ChatGPT was able to pass exams, like SATs, law exams, medical exams, MBA exams and more. As opposed to schools that may not really provide critical thinking or problem-solving either.
The narrative you may have been hearing was more about students taking exams and assignments less seriously. Because answers and reports could be generated by AI without any visible plagiarism. That’s a vastly different concern from whether generative AI education has the potential to make teaching in schools obsolete and overturn the traditional education sector and education companies.
EdTech Chegg, an enterprise that provides homework help and online tutoring, has come out and said that ChatGPT is hurting its growth. CEO Dan Rosensweig remarked that there was significant student interest in ChatGPT, which was impacting Chegg’s new customer growth rate. In the first week of May 2023, shares of Chegg closed down to nearly 50% to about $9 after the comments he made. Anecdotal screenshots on social media show that when asked what 2 and 2 is, with ChatGPT responding that the answer is 4, a consumer can insist the answer is 5, until ChatGPT concedes that 2 and 2 make 5.
At least we can take solace in the fact that despite all of AI’s genius, we can sometimes still gaslight it. But, that could change over time and LLMs, like ChatGPT, could be defiant about having the right answer, irrespective of your peer pressure. But, there’s a question to be raised as to whether AI could obliterate the traditional means of education. This is where teachers or smart professionals can use their creativity and combine it with AI’s efficiency to help students.
Disruptive technology, without a doubt, is going to change the face of things. And a sector like education, which is often evolving itself, in recent times, with technology, may be better off with AI than without. This might just be the evolution of the education revolution.
