ChatGPT – Friend or Foe: What Parents & Educators Need To Know

If you haven’t heard the name ChatGPT being discussed by your kids or students, you soon will! ChatGPT is a well-known name in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and it is likely that you will hear more about it, given that the topic of AI is becoming increasingly popular in today’s “onlife” world (1). ChatGPT is a game-changer in the AI space, that is becoming increasingly prevalent in our daily lives. It is expected that ChatGPT will continue to evolve and gain popularity with both young people and adults alike, thus why parents and educators need to know more about it and the reason for this posting.

There is no doubt that ChatGPT has become a disrupter in the tech industry; search engines like Google are concerned about their business model given that ChatGPT actually can provide answers to questions being queried rather than just displaying relevant links (2) This is one reason why it is reported that Microsoft invested $10 billion into it ChatGPT, following a $1 billion prior investment. Microsoft is reportedly planning to launch a Bing feature that incorporates the technology behind ChatGPT(3), no wonder Google is worried.

ChatGPT is a free AI-driven natural language processing tool that allows a user to engage in human-like text-based conversations with an AI-based program. It can answer questions, assist with tasks such as composing emails and essays, and even generate code and websites. Currently, it is in its beta research and feedback-collection phase and is free for the public to use. The program is based on a type of artificial intelligence called deep learning, which allows it to learn from examples of human language and improve its understanding over time.

As mentioned, presently ChatGPT is offered as a free service but with its increasing popularity, it is likely that it will soon shift to a paid subscription model. In January the creator of ChatGPT, OpenAI announced on its Discord server that it may start charging for a version of ChatGPT called “ChatGPT Professional”. A waitlist for access to the pro service has been created on Discord, and it promises faster responses, always-on availability, and unlimited messages. The cost for this service has not yet been announced, but we guarantee that people from all walks of life will pay for the pro service based on what you will read in this posting.

You can access ChatGPT by visiting chat.openai.com (4) where you will be prompted to create an OpenAI account. Due to its extremely high popularity, the website may experience server overloads, but you can try accessing it again later, or keep the tab open and refresh periodically. The ChatGPT model has many functions beyond answering questions, such as composing essays, describing art, creating AI art prompts, having philosophical conversations, and even coding – the possibilities are endless. Think of ChatGPT as coding with words, which has created a new employable skill called “prompt engineering” As an example, we prompted ChatGPT with this request,

“Write an introductory letter for the social media safety programs that the White Hatter offers” which produced this in less than 5 seconds:

Dear [Recipient],

We at White Hatter are dedicated to providing comprehensive and effective social media safety programs to individuals, families, and organizations. With the increasing use of social media, it is more important than ever to be aware of the potential risks and to take steps to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Our programs are designed to educate and empower users to navigate the digital world safely. We cover a wide range of topics, including cyberbullying, online harassment, privacy, and reputation management. We also provide strategies for dealing with online predators, scams, and other threats.

Our team of experts have been trained in the latest techniques and technologies to help keep you and your loved ones safe online. Our goal is to give you the tools and knowledge you need to make informed decisions about your online presence and to protect yourself from harm.

We would be honored to have the opportunity to work with you and your organization to ensure the safety and well-being of all of your members. Please feel free to contact us to learn more about our programs and to schedule a consultation.

Sincerely, [Your Name]

We next prompted ChatGPT to add a more professional tone to the above-noted creation at which time if produced this document in less than 5 seconds:

Dear [Recipient],

We are pleased to introduce the White Hatter, a leading provider of comprehensive and effective social media safety programs. With the widespread use of social media platforms, it is imperative that individuals, families, and organizations take proactive measures to safeguard themselves from the potential risks associated with online activity.

Our programs are designed to empower users with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the digital landscape safely and responsibly. Our curriculum covers a wide range of topics, including, but not limited to, cyberbullying, online harassment, privacy and reputation management, and strategies for dealing with online predators and scams.

Our team of experts is comprised of professionals who are highly trained in the latest techniques and technologies related to social media safety. Our goal is to provide our clients with the tools and information needed to make informed decisions about their online presence and to protect themselves from harm.

We would be honored to have the opportunity to work with your organization to ensure the safety and well-being of all members. We invite you to contact us to learn more about our programs and to schedule a consultation.

Sincerely, [Your Name]

Both products that ChatGPT generated were actually pretty good in our opinion. We also prompted ChatGPT to create a social media use policy for a business, and what it created was extremely good. Given its increasing ability to learn, ChatGPT is actually causing some lawyers to be concerned about how this technology could be used to take business away from them under certain circumstances (5)

Some other identified advantages of ChatGPT that we have found playing with this program over the past couple of months:

Language translation: It can be used to translate written text from one language to another, which can help to bridge language barriers and improve communication between people who speak different languages.

Text summarization: It can be used to automatically summarize large blocks of text, which can be helpful for people who want to quickly understand the main points of a piece of writing

Education: It can be used to generate questions and answers for educational purpose, helping students to practice and improve their language skills.

Accessibility: It can be used to make written content more accessible for people with disabilities by automatically generating audio descriptions or captions.

Research: Its ability to analyze large amounts of text data and extract insights makes it a valuable tool for various research applications

It is important to note that ChatGPT does have some limitations which include difficulty understanding specific wordings of questions, lack of quality in its responses, and guessing at ambiguous questions rather than asking for clarification. These limitations have led some critics to argue that tools like ChatGPT are only good at putting words in an order that makes sense from an AI point of view, but they cannot understand the meaning or know whether the statements it makes are correct. This is one reason why “prompt engineering” is becoming a more important and employable skill in the AI world of users. As an example, Anthropic recently advertised a position for a “Prompt Engineer and Librarian” with a salary and benefits package ranging between $250k – $335k (6)

Although there are several positives to the use of ChatGPT, there are several concerns that have been identified by ourselves and others which can include:

#1: It can make it easier for students to cheat, plagiarize, or avoid learning proper writing skills.

As an example, its ability to write well has raised questions about the future of education. Teachers have experimented with using ChatGPT to help students with their writing assignments and found that the AI model can produce a finished product that is better than what many students can create themselves. As an example, a student could ask ChatGPT to write a book report without having to read the book, or even ask it to solve a complex math equation. This fact has led some educators to believe that such technology could have implications for how writing is taught in schools.

Another example – a professor at Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania used ChatGPT to take an MBA exam where he achieved a B- score. (7) This news led some schools and universities in North America to block access to ChatGPT. (8) However, even if a school blocks access to the ChatGPT site, there are many workarounds that students could use to still access it while at school.

In our opinion, teaching digital literacy specific to this program is more desirable given that it is here to stay, so teaching students how to responsibly use this technology would be more desirable than just banning it. The reality is that the use of AI technology is increasing in our daily lives, so therefore it’s important that young people are prepared to navigate this new digital landscape in a safe and responsible way. Parents and educators play an important and vital role in guiding teens to use technology in a way that is safe and beneficial for themselves and others. However, to do this parents and educators need to educate themselves about this technology as well!

#2: Given that ChatGPT does not fact check, it could help to spread misinformation or disinformation. However, OpenAI, the company that created ChatGPT, has acknowledged this concern and encourages users to verify any information they receive from the bot. In fact, we found several citations that ChatGPT provided in some of the prompt replies it created during our evaluation did not exist.

#3: It is trained on the collective writing of humans, which means that it can also exhibit the same biases that exist in the data it was trained on. This fact means that its use can lead to harmful or discriminatory answers.

#4: OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, holds a significant amount of power in terms of determining how the model is developed and used. The company has been criticized for not making the code for the model open source, which limits the public’s ability to understand and influence its development.

#5: It can be used for malicious purposes such as generating convincing phishing emails. Phishing and scam emails often contain poor spelling and grammar, which can make them easy to spot. However, this may not always be the case with emails generated by ChatGPT given its capability to generate coherent and grammatically correct sentences, it could make it more difficult for potential victims to identify phishing attempts. In our testing, we did attempt to prompt ChatGPT to create some questionable content, which it didn’t allow us to do and indicates that OpenAI has put some guardrails in place to help prevent less-than-desirable prompt creations.

#6: It could bring significant changes to the workplace. The advancements in AI, including ChatGPT, have the potential to automate certain tasks and roles in the workplace. This has already been seen in industries such as journalism, where AI is being used to write news articles. (9) Last year CNET implemented the use of AI to compose stories but halted this practice following significant criticism on social media.(10) It is possible that ChatGPT and other similar technologies could also impact other professions in the future. By incorporating ChatGPT’s capabilities with other AI technologies, such as AI art engines, it is possible to automate tasks that are currently done by human designers, artists, and content creators. Could this lead to a decrease in demand for certain jobs and a shift in the labor market? – maybe. However, it’s important to note that while this could potentially lead to economies of scale in certain industries, it could also lead to new opportunities and benefits, such as increased efficiency and cost savings.

Rather than banning ChatGPT and other AI programs, we have seen more progressive schools and universities responding to the emergence of this new technology by:

Integrating AI education into the curriculum: Some schools and universities have started to integrate AI education into their curriculum, teaching students about the basics of AI, as well as its potential risks and benefits. This can help students to understand the technology and its implications for their future careers.

Using ChatGPT for teaching and learning: Some educators have started to use ChatGPT to help generate lesson plans, questions and answers for educational purposes, or to help students to practice and improve their language skills.

Developing ethical guidelines: Some universities and schools have begun to develop ethical guidelines for the use of AI technologies, including ChatGPT, to ensure that they are used in a responsible and ethical manner.

Monitoring the use of AI technology: Some schools and universities have started to monitor the use of AI technology, such as ChatGPT, to ensure that it is not misused by students or staff.

Using ChatGPT for research: Some universities and schools have started to use ChatGPT in research projects, such as natural language processing, machine learning, and AI in general.

Teaching Inquiry-based learning (11) utilizing CharGPT is an approach that promotes critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity in students. It encourages them to question, analyze information, and draw their own conclusions instead of merely accepting information. This makes them independent learners who can verify their own answers. With rapidly advancing AI capabilities, tools like ChatGPT will play a significant role in all industries. It is essential to equip students with the skills required to understand and use them effectively. Collaboration with peers helps them share ideas, present findings, and develop communication and critical thinking skills. These skills are necessary to evaluate AI sources and ensure equitable outcomes. It is because of this fact, inquiry-based instruction plays a vital role in developing the skills required to evaluate information provided by AI critically. In an ever-changing world, schools must accept the fact that they need to go beyond rote learning and structured responses. Inquiry-based learning enables students to become successful by providing them with the necessary skills to excel in future workplaces dominated by AI-powered tools like ChatGPT. Rather than fearing ChatGPT in schools, educators must become facilitators of intellectual exploration and move away from sometimes outdated teaching methods by investing in inquiry-based approaches that ChatGPT can help to facilitate.

We have definitely seen schools and universities beginning to recognize the potential of ChatGPT and other AI technologies, and they are taking proactive steps to integrate them into their curriculum, research, and policies in a responsible and ethical way. They are moving from a fear-based approach to a more integrated enlightening and educational approach (12) – something that we applaud here at the White Hatter.

Is it essential for parents and educators to understand the potential risks and abuses of ChatGPT and other AI technologies and to educate teens about the responsible and ethical use of technology? – YES. As teens are still in the process of developing their understanding of the world and their own values, providing them with guidance and knowledge about the responsible use of technology can help them to separate fact from fiction, make informed decisions, and help them understand the consequences of their actions – all of which are important in today’s onlife world.

The use of AI technology is increasing in our daily lives, it’s important that young people are prepared to navigate this new landscape in a safer and more responsible way. Parents and educators play a vital role in guiding teens to use technology in a way that is safe and beneficial for themselves and others.

Having an open and honest conversation with teens about the potential risks and consequences of misusing ChatGPT and other AI technologies is crucial. By talking openly and honestly, parents and educators can help teens to understand the importance of responsible and ethical use of technology to help them make well-informed choices.

In today’s onlife world, it is vital for parents and educators to be aware of the potential risks, consequences, and benefits of ChatGPT and other AI technologies, and to educate teens about the responsible and ethical use of this technology. Open and honest communication with teens can help to ensure that they use ChatGPT, or any other forms of technology, safely and more responsibly.

In our opinion, rather than being threatened by ChatGPT, how can we get challenged about creating and integrating ethical discussions about the appropriate use of this technology with youth in their academic growth? Social norms around ChatGPT haven’t been created yet, so let’s start these discussions with teens, and we hope this posting helps to start those discussions.

Digital Food For Thought

The White Hatter

***Update Feb 2023***

As expected ChatGPT is now monetizing its AI offering a paid “premium” version of their product (13)

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