By Vanessa Hewitt
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been around for decades, with things like Google, Bing, Siri, and Amazon’s Alexa. Recently, however, AI has advanced into search engines like Chat GPT. This new text-based AI has the capabilities to write entire essays and produce remarkable amounts of information based on what the user decides to prompt it with.
David Billings, Professor of Technology and Humanities at Grand Rapids Community College, believes the new technology with AI has both potential and concerns.
“My thought is that especially something like ChatGPT is that students can use it to improve their writing, it can be a decent writing coach,” Billings said. “The challenges are that you don’t rely on it too much.”
Along with that, because of student use, AI has found its way into many professor’s syllabi at GRCC. Billings suggests professors acknowledge the tool, but allow students to use it as long as they aren’t using it unethically.
Students at GRCC seem to share opinions with Billings. For example, Demi Lopez, 21, from Grand Rapids says she uses ChatGPT as a tool to help her with essays. With that being said, Lopez expresses similar thoughts about possible misuse.
“There is a chance of cheating and it being taken advantage of,” Lopez said “ I would say it would have to be used in good faith”.
Roxy Jacobs, 21, an art student at GRCC says she is worried about possible loss of control regarding students and the cheating professors would have to deal with.
“I do think it’s a concern,” Jacobs said. “I don’t think the people in charge are prepared, I don’t think they know how to control it.”
Another concern Billings brought up is the amount of knowledge people have about search engines like ChatGPT.
“As a research tool, it might pull several real facts, then something it just makes up, and then something from a French conspiracy website, and then tie it all together in a convincing way,” Billings said.
With this technology being fairly new, Billings believes misinformation could spread due to the unawareness of what it can and cannot be capable of.
