Jan 27

Jan 27 Why AI Tools Like ChatGPT Will Widen the Education Gap

by Ravi Rao*

January 27, 2023

“Learning from Obstacles” is the number one topic for essays required of high school students as part of their applications for admissions to colleges in the United States.

“By analyzing and understanding the obstacles we face, we can gain insight into our own strengths and weaknesses, and develop strategies for overcoming future challenges,” according to one essay on the topic.

The full 300-word essay, which I sought, is below. Well written and thoughtful, it was crafted not by a student but by ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence (AI) tool.

Just like I did, users can find good quality answers to a variety of questions by querying the conversation bot. Besides education, its applications range from customer service communications and psychological counseling to financial advice.

This week Microsoft invested $10 billion in openAI, the company that developed chatGPT, valuing the business at $29 billion, according to Semafor.

In the field of education, school and college teachers have found that chatGPT’s essays are good enough to pass standardized tests and even MBA programs. Not surprising the tool’s use was swiftly banned on computer networks in New York City schools.

The major concern is that chatGPT renders useless one of the current method of assessing students by asking them to submit written essays, since they can easily cheat by creating one using an AI tool.

As it is, schools and colleges deal with student answers copied from numerous online sources. They include bestfreespinner.com which creates “new high-quality articles in seconds”; unemployedprofessors.com which says it produces unique hand written essays; and Chegg.com and Coursehero.com which provide answers to questions in a wide range of courses. Their fees vary depending on factors like one time use or monthly subscription and the urgency of the request. Being currently free to use, chatGPT merely democratizes this process of cheating!

Ultimately, the quality of most education is reflected in the jobs and salaries offered to students upon graduation. Even if a student gets good grades in college, with or without cheating, there is no guarantee that they will find a good job or perform well on professional examinations.

Most technology companies, as well as some other employers, have a stringent interview process – some even conduct tests - where skills of job candidates are thoroughly assessed. Certain vocations like law, medicine and accounting have standardized examinations, which are closely monitored; and conducted by independent bodies.

Academic institutions already use tools such as Turnitin to monitor if student submissions are copied. Now there are suggestions that students write essays by hand in a classroom, without access to the internet. That may work for small class sizes, like those at the top educational institutions, but does not scale to large classes mostly found at many publicly funded schools and colleges.

Also, soon there will be more AI companies offering tools similar to chatGPT, which will likely further widen the gap between the top schools and colleges and the rest. Like most tools, they can be used for good and bad purposes. There is a fear that easy and cheap access to such tools will tempt many students to cheat, especially those who are employed and have to take care of family members and are pressed for time.

One way to deter students is to ask them to sign a document every semester stating that the work they submitted was not copied. While such an honor code will not eliminate cheating, it will make it easier for institutions to take actions against students who cheat. It will also strengthen the resolve of those students who do not cheat by demonstrating to them that there is an attempt to assess students in a fair manner.

Learning from Obstacles – an essay generated by chatGPT

Learning from obstacles is an important part of personal and professional development. When we encounter challenges and obstacles, we have the opportunity to grow and learn from them. By analyzing and understanding the obstacles we face, we can gain insight into our own strengths and weaknesses, and develop strategies for overcoming future challenges.

One of the most important aspects of learning from obstacles is the ability to reflect on the experience. This means taking the time to think about what went wrong, what you could have done differently, and what you can learn from the experience. By analyzing the obstacle and understanding the root cause, you can develop a plan for avoiding similar situations in the future.

Another important aspect of learning from obstacles is the ability to be resilient. Resilience is the ability to bounce back from adversity and continue moving forward. When we are faced with obstacles, it is easy to become discouraged and give up. However, those who are resilient are able to push through and continue working towards their goals. By developing resilience, we can learn to handle obstacles more effectively and continue making progress.

Additionally, learning from obstacles also means being open to new ideas and approaches. When we encounter an obstacle, it can be easy to become entrenched in our own way of thinking and assume that our current approach is the only way to solve the problem. However, being open to new ideas and approaches can help us find more effective solutions to our problems. By being open-minded, we can learn from others and discover new ways of thinking and problem-solving.

In conclusion, learning from obstacles is an important part of personal and professional development. By reflecting on our experiences, developing resilience, and being open to new ideas and approaches, we can gain insight into our own strengths and weaknesses and develop strategies for overcoming future challenges. It's important to remember that obstacles are not only a test of our abilities but also an opportunity for growth and learning.