I found Joe Marshall’s article on the efforts to detect AI-generated content compelling in its storytelling, but thought there was one perspective not highlighted (As AI cheating booms, so does the industry detecting it: ‘We couldn’t keep up with demand’, 5 July).
I am 13, so I know first-hand the efforts of schools to combat ChatGPT, and the enormous potential of such technologies. However, the overwhelming (and understandable) response of educators has been panic and bans. This includes my own school, which has banned ChatGPT entirely.
To see why this is wrong, we must only look back a few years. Upon the introduction of the internet, instead of embracing the technology and teaching necessary skills, fear of cheating led to crackdowns. Students today pay the price as schools play catch-up. Today, society is on the path to make the same mistake with generative AI.
Instead of fear, what if schools taught students on the proper ways to use AI and digital literacy around artificial content? Rather than repeat history, schools have a duty to inform pupils on the use cases of technology (such as Khan Academy’s using GPT-4 to tutor students in math) and raise smart, informed citizens. Instead of hopelessly racing to detect people using AI, why not encourage educational uses that advance learning and teach skills?
Amedeo Bettauer
Brookline, Massachusetts, US
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