Artificial Intelligence is the creation of machines that perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, and it is being developed rapidly, frequently releasing new innovations. One that is attracting the attention of many is ChatGPT. Created by OpenAI, ChatGPT aids in composing writing material as well as any other aspects a user provides it with. 

With technology and AI usage becoming increasingly accessible, it can be difficult to limit or avoid. English teacher Sara Silverman advocates that students and teachers should be harnessing ChatGPT and using it as a tool instead of ignoring it. 

“It’s like having a calculator and not using it, so at a certain point, this technology is going to be the same as having a calculator,” Silverman said. “If we have the technology up to a certain level of computation with it, then can we use it to go forward.” 

Freshman Gauri Todur believes that AI impacts people’s lives on a daily basis, and it should be used as an advantage. Setbacks, however, can occur if it becomes more normal in society. 

“AI in general has been used for so many different things. It is being used to revolutionize the medical industry. Even Google is an AI, and that’s helping us,” Todur said. “It’s going to help us a lot, but if we become really dependent on it, that’s where it’s going to hurt us.”

Social studies teacher Jonathan Hubbs feels that innovations such as ChatGPT can play a role in education, but knowing how to properly use these tools is crucial in a learning environment.  

“A lot of education is not just about memorizing facts. It’s exercising our brains, writing something like an essay and learning what evidence to use and what not to use,” Hubbs said. “How to construct sentences and paragraphs and organize it in a certain way is really good for critical thinking. If we are bypassing that completely and using AI to do all of that work for us, I think we’re missing out on what the value of education is these days.” 

Sophomore Daniel Webb recognizes the benefits of using AI and ChatGPT in addition to various repercussions and disadvantages.

“The negative effects are that it could put people out of jobs, like if your job can all of a sudden be done by a robot for cheaper,” Webb said. 

Hubbs acknowledged that it would not be worth going against AI since it is accessible to everyone, but rather learning how to embrace AI will help society and its technological advancements continue moving forward.

“In terms of the future and all these other tools that are coming, I think that it could be overwhelming at first,” Hubbs said. “But we need to stay on top of this and welcome it and have good conversations around it and professional development around it, so we all can use it in a way that can improve our efficiency.” 

Todur believes that advances in technology are shaping the world in new ways. She noted that AI is a tool designed to provide assistance and guidance and should not be abused for one’s personal benefit.

“This (AI) is bringing us closer to a place where it’s really going to help us in places where we really need help, and those are major societal problems,” Todur said. “I think the development of AI itself is not bad. I think the only thing bad about it is the way that people use it to their own advantage.”

To Silverman, ChatGPT is creating a system applicable to students and teachers that aids them in their daily activities. She described ChatGPT and AI as a stepping stone for humans to build their innovative ideas into increasingly advanced technology. 

“If human beings stopped producing their own thoughts, we are in trouble,” Silverman said. “But if there is a technology that can harness all of the internet and give us a starting-off point for our thinking and ideas and we go beyond that, then maybe it’s just giving us a step to start on.”