Joining the ChatGPT Conversation: #1- Limitations***

As an educator, I have always been interested in the ways technology can enhance the classroom experience for students. In recent years, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been gaining more attention in the field of education and I have been keen to explore the potential of these tools to support student learning. As I researched more about AI tools, I realized that it is crucial to start by understanding the limitations of these tools before we can fully explore their potential. With this in mind, I decided to re-start my blog writing and share my insights on the topic.

ChatGPT is one such AI tool that has caught my attention. It is a large language model developed by OpenAI that can generate human-like text based on the patterns it learned from the data it was trained on. While it can be a powerful tool for students to generate text, it's important to be aware of its limitations and to use it in a way that is beneficial to student learning.

If you're not sure what ChatGPT is, here is a short introduction:

In this post, I'll be discussing some of the limitations of ChatGPT and how they can be addressed in the classroom.

Issue 1: Data Bias 

"The real risk with AI isn't malice but competence. A superintelligent AI will be extremely good at accomplishing its goals, and if those goals aren't aligned with ours, we're in trouble." - Nick Bostrom, philosopher, and scientist

One of the biggest limitations of ChatGPT is that it is only as good as the data it was trained on. If the training data contains biases, the model will likely reproduce those biases in its output. For example, if a student uses ChatGPT to generate a persuasive essay on a current event, and the model was trained on a dataset that contains a disproportionate number of perspectives from one political party, the essay may contain bias towards that party. To mitigate this, students should be made aware of the potential for bias in the model and encouraged to seek out multiple perspectives on a topic before using ChatGPT.

Issue 2: Lack of Context

"Context is the key to understanding" - Dr. Seuss

ChatGPT is a language model, not a context model. It lacks the ability to understand and interpret the context of a given input, which can lead to inaccuracies or misinterpretations. For example, when students use ChatGPT to summarize a historical event, they may receive a factually correct summary, but it may not be the most relevant or nuanced summary given the context of the event. To address this limitation, students can be taught to consider the context of the information they are using and to fact-check the information generated by ChatGPT.

Issue 3: Lack of Domain Expertise 

"Expertise is the weightless, all-purpose panacea of the sentient" - Douglas Adams

While ChatGPT can generate text on a wide range of topics, it does not have the same level of expertise as a human in any specific domain. Therefore, students may not always receive accurate or detailed information when using ChatGPT for research. For example, when students use ChatGPT to generate a report on a scientific topic, they may receive information that is not entirely accurate or current. To address this limitation, students can be taught to verify the information generated by ChatGPT with multiple sources and to consult subject-matter experts when necessary.

 Issue 4: Creativity 

"The key to creativity is to begin with the end in mind and then never stop" - Dr. Edward de Bono

ChatGPT is based on patterns it learned from the data it was trained on, it can generate text that is similar to examples it has seen before, but it does not have the ability to create something truly new or original. For example, when students use ChatGPT to generate a poem, it might generate a poem that is similar to examples it has seen before, but it will not be something truly unique or creative. To address this limitation, students can be encouraged to use ChatGPT as a tool to generate ideas, but to also use their own creativity and originality to develop their work. 

 Issue 5: Common Sense

"Common sense is not so common" - Voltaire 

ChatGPT is not capable of understanding common sense, it can generate text based on the patterns it learned, but it may not be able to make sense of certain situations which involve common sense reasoning. For example, when students use ChatGPT to generate a story it may not understand the story's plot and might generate something that doesn't make sense. To address this limitation, students can be taught to review the output generated by ChatGPT for logical consistency and common sense reasoning before using it. 

Issue 6: Consistency

"Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative" - Oscar Wilde

ChatGPT is a statistical language model, it can generate responses based on the patterns it learned, but it might not always give the same answer to the same question. For example, when students use ChatGPT to generate a summary of a text, it might generate different summaries for the same text. To address this limitation, students can be taught to review the output generated by ChatGPT for consistency before using it. 

ChatGPT can be a powerful tool for students to generate human-like text, but it's important to be aware of its limitations. By teaching students about these limitations and how to address them, we can ensure that they are using ChatGPT in a way that is beneficial to their learning. 

In my next blog posts, I'll be exploring other AI tools that can be used in education and how ChatGPT can be used to enhance teaching. Stay tuned!

*** This blog post was written by ChatGPT (with some guiding and nudging from me...)