By Foster Keebaugh

     ChatGPT is a new artificial intelligence (AI) web browser that generates text responses based on the questions asked. It uses modern technology that creates AI generated responses, so it feels like talking to a human. Unlike other programs such as FireFox or Google that use code to generate responses, ChatGPT sifts through information to learn how to write like humans. It can have a conversation and remember past questions asked. The AI can draft essays and stories based on the prompts given. These essays are almost indistinguishable from human written essays and are completely original.  

     Mike Sharples, a professor at The Open University in the UK, said that ChatGPT wrote a B+ level college essay. The tradition of assigning essays for students to write at home might be over as students can simply plug a given topic into ChatGPT and get an error free essay ready to turn in. ChatGPT will only improve in the future, and eventually it will be able to rival the best human writers.  Lawrence Shapiro, a professor of philosophy, wrote in an article by the Washington Post that he is not worried about ChatGPT. He said the “ChatGPT-induced alternative to writing assignments — are worthless when it comes to learning how to write, because no professor expects to see polished prose in such time-limited contexts.” In other words, professors would become suspicious of the writing quality in such short amounts of time. Many students feel that using ChatGPT should not be considered cheating because someone else is not writing it. It is a computer that is helping. PVHS sophomore Lane Glenn said, “ChatGPT is not cheating it’s just using the tools available to be better at writing.” On the other hand, Mrs. Collett an English teacher at PVHS, said, “Using ChatGPT to write your stories is definitely cheating.”

     ChatGPT is a tool that can be used to help analyze and develop research. It can process a given article and give feedback on all sorts of things about it. ChatGPT can provide instant responses while browsers like Google give links. ChatGPT will give a link and read it for users. Researchers and students will benefit from this because they can shorten time spent researching. An argument presented against the use of ChatGPT versus traditional web browsers like Google, is that by cutting out the time spent sorting information less knowledge is gained. 

     The use of ChatGPT in the classroom is not just related to essays. ChatGPT can provide feedback to students about writing and projects. ChatGPT can also help teachers in grading writing and giving advice to students. ChatGPT is more accessible than other sites because of the easy nature of asking questions and getting direct responses. It also creates more personalized and user tailored results.  

     Teachers are not without tools of their own. There are certain websites like Copy Leaks that can detect the likelihood that something was written by an AI. Mrs. Collett said “ChatGPT will make all essay assignments in class and not online to avoid cheating.” She added, “I can tell when a student uses an AI because the essay is better than what they would normally write.” Another teacher at PVHS, Mr. Maynard said, “I can tell when someone uses ChatGPT because the writing level is too high. Maybe if I was a college professor it might be harder to tell.” Mr. Maynard also said, “I haven’t had any students cheat with it yet.” This supports the idea that ChatGPT writes better that most students.  Many experienced teachers say they can easily tell whether something was written by a human or an AI. 

“I can tell when someone uses ChatGPT because the writing level is too high. Maybe if I was a college professor it might be harder to tell.”

Mr. Maynard

     Overall, the effects of ChatGPT will change how writing assignments are given and graded. ChatGPT is not just limited to writing assignments, it can also answer science and math questions too. Students and teachers will have to adapt and change their approach to school assignments.