What is OpenAI?
OpenAI is a research organization that focuses on promoting and advancing artificial intelligence in a responsible manner. One of their key projects is GPT (Generative Pre-training Transformer), a state-of-the-art language processing AI that can generate human-like text. For example, your students may already be asking OpenAI’s ChatGPT function to do things like “write an 8th grade essay on the main conflicts in Tom Sawyer.” OpenAI will produce a well written essay on the topic at a level of sophistication that you’d expect from an 8th grade student. Click here to see an example. There are AI content detectors such as the one on https://writer.com/ai-content-detector/ that will help you determine if student work is original. But AI is not going away. These tools are prevalent now and will become more so in the near future.
Should we use OpenAI in the classroom?
As a teacher, you may be wondering if it is appropriate to use OpenAI in the classroom.
Yes, I believe that we should! AI is not going away. Ignoring the emerging technologies can be futile and does not prepare our students for the future. These same arguements educators voice about OpenAI were heard when Google and other search engines emerged decades ago.
Although it’s vital to think about the hazards and ethical issues of employing AI, bringing OpenAI into the classroom has several advantages. The use of OpenAI in the classroom has the potential to be a game-changer for the educational experience of its pupils. Students may utilize the GPT AI in a variety of ways, including to create translations and compose articles and tales, and to learn more about how the AI works.
OpenAI may also be used to teach students practical skills that will be useful throughout their lives. Students need to learn about AI and its inner workings so they can assess its possible effects as it becomes more widespread in society. OpenAI provides students with access to cutting-edge technology, allowing them to better prepare themselves for the future.
Finally, students can benefit from adopting OpenAI by enhancing their capacity for original thought and problem solving. Students will be able to think of novel applications for the GPT AI as they engage with and learn about its features. This can aid in the cultivation of creative and critical thought.
How can technology like OpenAI increase creativity and critical thinking?
- Use language models from OpenAI, like GPT-3, to develop ideas for writing or other creative projects. This can help students get better at coming up with ideas and putting them into words in a clear and logical way.
- Use OpenAI’s tools, like the DALL-E image generation model, to get students thinking creatively by showing them a wide range of possible outputs based on a given input.
- Check out the research papers and blog posts on OpenAI to discover what’s new in artificial intelligence and machine learning. This can help teachers keep up with new tools and methods they can use to get their students to think critically.
- Encourage students to think critically about what artificial intelligence and machine learning mean from an ethical point of view. OpenAI’s research often touches on these essential topics, which teachers can use as a jumping-off point for discussions and projects on these issues.
OpenAI is an excellent resource that teachers should think about using in their courses. Teachers may aid their pupils in developing future-proof abilities by exposing them to and teaching them to use this cutting-edge technology.
Be sure to leave your opinions about using OpenAI in the classroom in the comments section.
Note: This post was co-written with OpenAI and a few other online editing tools from an initial outline including the following:
The title image was AI generated as well.