It has been nearly a year since ChatGPT exploded into the public consciousness, sparking in equal measure excitement and anxiety about the rise of artificial intelligence (AI).
This is precisely why for most people, AI refers only to large language models like ChatGPT. But even before such models were accessible to the public, AI was ubiquitous in modern lives. Personalised social media feeds, automated spellcheckers and digital voice assistants like Siri are all powered by AI.
Those alarmed by the rise of ChatGPT feared that AI would eat into jobs or be misused to spread disinformation. Proponents of AI branded such people as Luddites.
Since then, opinions have not become any less polarised. This became evident at a recent panel discussion at the Hong Kong Laureate Forum, hosted by the Shaw Foundation. During a talk on the role of AI in science education, some panellists were deeply sceptical that AI indeed had a role at all, while others said it would democratise science.
Despite the polarised reactions, one thing remains common between the two camps: Nobody really knows where AI is headed, even in the near future. Our best bet at prediction, it appears, is through imperfect analogies.
Professor Andrew G. Cohen of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology was of the opinion that ChatGPT would be as disruptive as an electronic calculator. When calculators first became available, he said, many were concerned that it would discourage students from performing arithmetic and mathematical functions. In the long run, calculators would negatively impact cognitive and problem-solving skills, it was believed.
While this prediction has partially come true, Cohen says the benefits of calculators far outweigh the drawbacks. With menial calculations out of the way, students had the opportunity to engage with more complex mathematical concepts. What calculators did for arithmetic, large language models can do for language, the professor argued. The interactive nature of AI will allow students to engage with science in a way they have not been able to so far, he says.
I’ve toyed with chat gpt as an education tool. Of course you can’t trust what it’s putting out since it will confidently tell you an incorrect thing. But it’s obvious that the framework is there for an education revolution. I’ve asked it to teach me a concept I’m struggling with while I have the text book open in front of me to verify what I’m reading is accurate. It has thus far not spit out any misinformation although that’s strictly anecdotal.
But where it shines is in how it can explain concepts, reword things, and help generate techniques to remember things. You can really do a deep dive and ask follow up questions that go way further than any static text book. Obviously having an experienced teacher doing these things is the best option but what do you do if your teacher sucks or you don’t have a teacher at all, this could really serve to enhance the education of people that have limited resources.
Just being able to say hey I still don’t get it explain it a different way and having it reword things is huge. Yeah maybe kids won’t get to experience the joys of going to the library and having to use the Dewey decimal system, but if used correctly it could really enhance and personalize the education process and fill in a lot of gaps we see in places that don’t have access to good educators.
