Everyone following technology-related affairs agrees that the Artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT currently has more attention than celebrity American socialite Kim Kardashian.
Since its innovation, questions have been raised as to whether it’s an opportunity or threat to the critical thinking of students and their quality as graduates.
Since Artificial Intelligence tools including Chat GPT are here to stay, we ought to embrace them as assets that support the cognitive growth and memory function of students in other words they should enhance a student’s learning capacity.
AI tools provide an exciting teaching methodology for both teaching and learning especially for STEM subjects since it makes equation solving straightforward. A student, courtesy of ChatGPT, can now work on a mathematical assignment in the shortest time possible given the sophistication that comes with the tool.
Some scholars argue that ChatGPT can affect a student’s memory because of over-reliance on technology when handling complex academic subjects; however, the onus is on teachers to ensure that risk is mitigated by setting guidelines that limit the over-reliance on technology.
This is a concern, one that has become increasingly vocal over the past year as educators and researchers have pondered the impact of technology, now Artificial intelligence, on cognitive behavior and memory retention.
However, it’s imperative to note that human beings have been outsourcing their memory to various materials and solutions for centuries. Paper, parchment, papyrus, and wood are some prime examples. This fact has been balanced by research. Modern technology is no different. It can be a tool to bolster memory and make it far easier for humans to manage lives that are deluged by information, noise, and digital clutter.
According to Sarah Rukundo, Managing Director at Westerwelle Haus Kigali,” Technology is both an enabler and an inhibitor of human capacity which implies that the impact lies in how it is used not what it used or in the case of ChatGPT, abused. The latter can be an immensely useful tool that supports students in their research and studies, but if it becomes the sole source of information and does all the writing on their behalf, that is where the problem originates”.
ChatGPT like other artificial intelligence tools uses machine learning to infer information which poses a risk to the accuracy of data. If you ask ChatGPT where the Kinyarwanda language is spoken, it replies that it’s spoken in Rwanda.
This is not a fact because the Kinyarwanda language is spoken not only in Rwanda but also in Eastern Congo, Southwestern Uganda, and parts of Tanzania.
If users do not check the factual accuracy of ChatGPT, they run the risk of sharing false information, fake news, and even conspiracy theories. This risk can be mitigated through the assessment of information before presentation or publication.
Since it is increasingly and highly likely that an essay assignment will be done by AI, students and learners should be evaluated against what we know AI can generate or does not consider. Factors such as misinformation, fact-checking, references, and citing, should be assessed.
Since AI is here to stay, let academic institutions teach students how to use it within the practical guidelines and policies that help them enhance their understanding of the technology. This will positively impact their critical thinking skills by asking them to question the sources, content, truthfulness, and accuracy of the content that the platform serves up to them, and it will turn the threat into an opportunity.
Lately, remembering where you found a fact has become more important than remembering the fact itself. This translates directly into the biggest challenge with ChatGPT- It is sometimes not accurate which again goes back to the responsibility of teachers in double checking the authenticity of the data that the tool provides to students.
According to the 2022 Stanford University Artificial Intelligence Index report, most generative models are only truthful 25% of the time. This means that over-reliance on technology such as ChatGPT makes students vulnerable to producing poor academic work. However, it’s not enough to stop students from turning to tech when they are overwhelmed, tired, or lazy, which means that the best approach is to embrace it with scrutiny.
