Now that the world is focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and OpenAI, or ChatGTP in particular, its role in education must be explored further. Is it good or bad?

There are two schools of thought. The first is that all forms of AI are a huge boon for education. Take ChatGTP as an example: since it is effectively a large language model developed by OpenAI it is a tool that is great for answering questions, generating texts and writing essays. It does more than virtual assistants or traditional chatbots. Therefore, if used in the right way, the use of ChatGTP could be a game-changer in education.

Using ChatGTP, students can get quick and accurate answers to questions and can aid in research too. Hence, ChatGTP can be great for homework or assignments. It can provide students with quick and largely accurate answers to their questions and can even help with their homework or assignments. Imagine asking ChatGPT a question about a complex topic in engineering or mathematics and getting an instant, clear, concise response. This can save students time and effort searching for the correct answer or understanding a difficult concept.

However, students will get the most out of Chat GTP if they understand their topic well, no matter what the subject.  That way they will know that if they do an online search using ChatGTP, the answers it comes up with are accurate, and understand the context in which they  are used.

This brings us to the second concern about the use of AI in education. ChatGPT can produce an essay or coursework that will pass exams, but does it mean that students can understand the concepts underlying the subject?  Students can also be accused of cheating or even plagiarism, Indeed, since OpenAI came on the market in 2022, the number of plagiarism cases has increased significantly.

For example, according to a new study by Copyleaks, an AI-based text analysis company, which analysed plagiarism trends among tens of thousands of college and high school students across seven countries (including the US) from January 2023 to January 2024,  there was a 76 per cent  surge in the number of AI-generated content in students’ assignments during this time. At the same time, however, plagiarism rates decreased by 51 percent, reinforcing the need for effective guardrails and policies surrounding the technology’s use in education. Furthermore, the US saw highest plagiarism rates increase by 30 percent, according to the study.

As a consequence of growth in the use of AI, Bristol University is one of severa; academic institutions that have issued new guidance for staff on how to detect whether a student has used ChatGPT to cheat.

Students also need to recognise that if they use ChatGTP, or any type of search engine such as Google, there are often inherent biases in terms of gender, culture and race. (Issues of cultural bias are explored further in the book entitled

“Seniority:  how AI and tech can enhance senior living,” by Lucia Dore and Carole Railton). (Go to: https://www.luciadore.co.nz/learning). It is up to teachers, therefore, to teach students how to research online, along with equipping them with the knowledge about the importance of online etiquette, and hence how to act online.

However, students can benefit from AI tools because it allows them to interact with others online – an online forum if you like- and know how well they perform in real-time. Teachers too can benefit from AI tools.  From a workload perspective, it can speed up how teachers can prepare for lessons. 

For those students embarking on an online Business English course, they will not only be using online tools,  such as quizzes, which will allow them to know how they are performing in real-time, information they are learning is also up-to-the-minute, and they will not only be able to research with the latest AI tools, but they will also be able to interact with other students, online. It is up to teachers, and with the right course content, to teach students how to research online.

The education profession should embrace the use of AI tools in education, rather than shunning them. It can be a hugely powerful assistive technology for both educators and students. Online learning is the best way to embrace that. AI will allow students to focus on critical thinking and big questions rather than on simple answers.