THE notion of artificial intelligence is pouring into the ears in the contemporary scenario with the claims of bringing massive changes in the dynamics of the world. The invention of CHATGPT is a breakthrough that employs a technique of natural language processing, can train a gigantic sample of text from the internet. There are different viewpoints either it contributes to the progress of the educational sector or have detrimental effect on it.
Undoubtedly, it has the power to harness the sector to new heights by training the teachers and lessening the cost of training. It can be used to provide uniform training to all the educators in the country, minimize the gender gap, and there can be a level playing field by bringing the educationists of less developed areas of the country to par. It assists educators in designing exams that facilitate them in saving time, and this time can be devoted to research-based activities. Similarly, researchers can conduct systemic reviews that can save time for writing quality research papers by bridging the research gaps.
Talking specifically about the education system of a developing country like Pakistan that is quite fragile, relying on the nomenclature of rote learning with the very least priority given to nurturing the creativity and thinking element. The research at the university level is already facing a plethora of hindrances like no access to big databases, laboratories with obsolete systems and technologies, and no research funding opportunities, Apart from promoting and facilitating the university research culture HEC keeps on imposing budgetary cuts that are further weakening the situation. For example, if a student is asked to work on some specific research area he will make mind maps that stimulate his thinking capacity, and try to think outside of the box, but if the student is entirely relying on CHATGPT for completing this task will shun his creative thinking.
Furthermore, the moral foundations of Pakistani society are weak, apart from constructively using the CHATGPT the student start using this for copying their assignments and research papers which further corrodes the educational system. Moreover, CHATGPT is taping the information from all the available data on the internet that are either authentic or unauthentic. So the required material and information can be bogus and misleading too. Cheating and plagiarism have always been an issue in educational institutes, and AI tools like CHATGPT is further amplifying the situation.
The research students are utilizing it for plagiarizing their thesis and that are adversely affecting their thinking and writing capabilities. The youth and young blood are the assets that need to be tamed in a way that advances their creativity, and thinking abilities. The regulation and rules should be devised by the regulatory bodies in a way that its use ameliorates the quality of education rather than deteriorating it further by promoting its usage for cheating and plagiarizing.
—The writer is Head of Department Barani Institute of Management Sciences and PhD scholar at COMSATS Islamabad.
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