AI in schools – how metro districts are handing the rise in artificial intelligence chatbots

ATLANTA — The race for the best artificial intelligence is well underway. But is it too much, too fast?

Just this month, tech leaders, including Tesla’s Elon Musk, signed a letter asking AI labs to slow down production until risks could be studied.

Channel 2′s Justin Farmer spoke with Dr. David Joyner from Georgia Tech, who said there’s justified fear over artificial intelligence following the rise in popularity of chatbots like ChatGPT, Bard and Bing’s AI system.

[HAVE A STORY FOR 2 INVESTIGATES? Submit your story idea here]

Open AI’s ChatGPT gained 1 million users just five days after its Nov. 2022 launch. For perspective, it took Facebook 10 months to accomplish the same number. ChatGPT is an advanced chatbot that will give you an answer in real time.

“AI is really a history of taking a task that currently only humans can do, designing an agent that can do it, then kind of understanding a little bit about what goes into the task,” Joyner said.

From suggesting dinner ideas or gifts, solving mathematical equations, even having a conversation with the chatbot, some wonder whether it’s the next big search engine.

Joyner said not quite yet.

MORE STORIES FROM 2 INVESTIGATES:

• Man out thousands of dollars after crooks change checks made out to large companies
• Metro woman says moving company holding her stuff ransom for more than $14,000
• Metro Atlanta woman tipped off to identity theft after checking credit report

The chatbots take information that’s put into the system to build on its knowledge, leaving room for error.

“It’s the copy and paste. Once it learns from it, it’s there,” Joyner said.

Channel 2 Action News asked Dr. Babak Mostaghimi, assistant superintendent of elementary education and student support for the Gwinnett County School District, about handling AI in the classroom.

“Four years ago, we started conversations around the impact of artificial intelligence,” Mostaghimi said.

That preparation is allowing Georgia’s largest school district to embrace AI and incorporate it into daily lessons, while still teaching the basics.

“It looks like teachers taking a common math lesson or a science lesson and then integrating pieces of either the technology or the ethical implications into that regular lesson,” Mostaghimi said.

When it comes to the potential for cheating…

“In Gwinnett, we’ve really messaged that our basic academic dishonesty and principle still stands. If you’re using ChatGPT or some other tool to create something, you have to cite it as a source and then you’ll be held accountable whether that source is reliable,” Mostaghimi said.

Other school districts responded via email to questions about AI in the classroom.

“Fulton County Schools (FCS) has seen examples of students and staff using ChatGPT and AI. Our teachers, like all educators K-12 through university, are exploring appropriate uses of emerging technologies such as these. No matter what tools they use, we expect students to produce original works, and we will continue to teach and test on the foundational components of research and writing,” a spokesperson with Fulton County Schools said.

“The DeKalb County School District (DCSD) has blocked the use of ChatGPT on student devices and through District wi-fi networks. DCSD is researching this and other artificial intelligence applications to determine how to appropriately integrate these technologies and research capacities into enhanced student learning opportunities,” a spokesperson for DeKalb County schools said.

Atlanta Public Schools also sent a statement saying: “Atlanta Public Schools has no plans to ban this platform. However, APS takes academic integrity and plagiarism seriously and will take the appropriate steps should this become an issue.”

IN OTHER NEWS:

Gwinnett County unveils new high school with a focus on artificial intelligence The Gwinnett County School District is home to more students than any other school district in the state.

©2023 Cox Media Group