Can AI terminate your homework?

In the world of artificial intelligence, it’s not uncommon for machines to perform tasks that were once thought to be the exclusive domain of humans. From playing chess to driving cars, AI has proven itself to be a formidable and versatile technology. But what about writing? Can AI be trained to produce written works that are indistinguishable from those created by humans? The answer may surprise you. 

If you read that opening paragraph, and believed that I wrote it, you will definitely be surprised by the answer. That paragraph was written by the online AI chatbot ChatGPT, and if you have a free 30 seconds, a phone number, and a spare email, you can also get access to this powerful tool. ChatGPT was developed by Open AI, and can write press releases, legal briefs, or, more interestingly to students, complete homework assignments.  

The bot functions just like texting your friends, except instead of your squishy flesh and blood friend on the other side, there’s a bot that “doesn’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop… ever, until you are dead!” Terminator jokes aside, the bot is smarter and faster than you are. 

I had the privilege of interviewing our principal, Mr. Collins, about this new technology. While not much is known, as Mr. Collins said, “technology does one of two things, it’s always late to the party, or it’s so far ahead nobody even knows it’s at the party.” The school still has a plan for how to deal with this.  

Fallston will maintain its cheating policy, and ChatGPT will not be accepted as a tool. “For us, if it’s not your work, then it’s a zero and there can be other consequences,” Mr. Collins said. This technology is on all teachers’ radar and will surely impact instructional choices moving forward.  

Mr. Collins plans to pursue these conversations with teachers and students. “The idea that we’re thinking kids can just regurgitate what a bot does, or another person does, to just check the box and get a grade and be okay with that, I’m not okay with that,” Mr. Collins said.