ChatGPT and Student Well-being: Unraveling the Negative Impact on Education
In an age where artificial intelligence (AI) is so relevant in all aspects of life, especially in terms of education, it is important to understand the harmful effects that it has on those who use it. While using artificial intelligence can be helpful in generating ideas quickly and enhancing learning experiences, but excessive use of it, particularly Chat GPT, has raised significant concerns among educators, researchers, and medical professionals.
One of the main concerns with using artificial intelligence for educational purposes is that it promotes academic dishonesty. The accessibility of pre-written responses through Chat GPT is appealing to students and encourages plagiarism, as it provides detailed responses to any prompt, ultimately disregarding the principles of honesty in education. A major issue with Chat GPT is that it has the ability to facilitate cheating among university and school students without being detected. In a survey conducted in March 2023, which polled 1,000 current undergraduate and graduate students, it revealed that “nearly half (43%) of all college students have used AI tools, like Chat GPT, with half of those students admitting to using them for assignments or exams.”1 The results of this survey have raised concerns about the impact that it has on students’ learning and highlight the need for policies to prohibit the use of artificial intelligence in a school setting.
Though using AI resources is efficient when completing work, an overreliance on it hinders essential skills such as critical thinking, creativity, and information/memory retention. Instead of challenging the brain with complex concepts and ideas independently, students are beginning to resort to using Chat GPT’s responses. Relying on AI prevents students from engaging with subject matter as their brains simply analyze the information that is generated for them. This means that they do not consider it on their own and generate original ideas or perspectives on the topic. This can have a large impact on a student’s brain, especially if they are of a young age. In addition, teachers are becoming concerned about their students’ learning experiences in class. This is because if they are using Chat GPT to complete assignments, it might disrupt their motivation to absorb the content in class as they can depend on AI to do their work for them. This is described as ‘cognitive offloading’, which is the process of reducing cognitive effort by using external aids such as writing lists or utilizing AI technologies and can lead to a decline in memory retention.1 This reliance not only impacts students, but it also makes it difficult for teachers to accurately assess their knowledge and understanding which will inherently affect marking and student’s grades.
Acknowledging the detrimental effects of using Chat GPT and other artificial intelligence resources for educational purposes is crucial in protecting the future of student’s cognitive and intellectual development. In an interview with South Australia’s education minister, Blair Boyer, he said: “I don’t think we can bury in our head and just think that you know Chat GPT or artificial intelligence are an overnight sensation that is gonna disappear. They are here, and in fact, we’re gonna see a lot more.”1 Despite the fact that AI will always be significant in our lives, it is essential to take the necessary measures to ensure that it is being used responsibly.
Bibliography
Desk, Editorial. “ChatGPT May Lead to the Downfall of Education and Critical Thinking.” Tech Business News, April 2, 2023. https://www.techbusinessnews.com.au/blog/chatgpt-may-lead-to-the-downfall-of-eduction-and-critical-thinking/#:~:text=Diminishes%20critical%20thinking%3A%20By%20relying.