An AI expert has raised doubts about the firewall strategy as Victoria chooses a “wait and see” approach
Queensland will implement a ban on ChatGPT in state schools, following in the footsteps of New South Wales. However, the effectiveness of this strategy has been questioned by AI experts. The NSW Department of Education will use a firewall to prevent access to ChatGPT and other AI applications, amid growing concerns about cheating in assessments. Students in NSW will have restricted access to such technologies on school networks and devices. These measures were revealed by Nine newspapers on Sunday.
Guardian Australia reported on Sunday that the Department of Education in Queensland has blocked ChatGPT for all students until it can be thoroughly evaluated for its suitability in a school environment. A spokesperson for the department stated that the technology will be reviewed and their internet content filtering system will continue to assess online content and block any content that may pose a risk to students. Meanwhile, the Department of Education in Victoria has chosen not to implement a ban on ChatGPT. A spokesperson indicated that they are monitoring the capabilities of AI and will take appropriate action if necessary.
According to Megan Kelly, the acting deputy secretary for learning improvement at the NSW Department of Education, the ban on ChatGPT will be implemented later this month when students return to school. She stated that the ban will continue until the department has reviewed how to incorporate emerging technology safely and appropriately in the classroom.
The decision to ban ChatGPT was made because the platform’s Terms of Use specify that users must be at least 18 years old, and due to concerns over a lack of reliable safeguards to protect students from potentially explicit or harmful content, stated a spokesperson. ChatGPT is capable of generating human-like responses to prompts or queries, which has led to concerns over its potential for plagiarism detection evasion. However, the technology has also generated excitement for its potential to aid certain students.
According to the Courier Mail, Ali Kadri, the CEO of the school, stated that the technology had the potential to enable student creativity, provide individualized tutoring, and enhance students’ readiness to collaborate with AI systems in their adulthood.
Dr Stefan Popenici, an artificial intelligence expert from Charles Darwin University, argued that implementing a universal prohibition on artificial technology would be the most unfavorable type of response and would overlook the potential benefits the platforms could bring.
According to Popenici, the response of panic that arose in the education industry after the introduction of ChatGPT in November was an indication of a “short-sightedness” among institutions and departments.
He expressed disappointment, saying, “We have a groundbreaking technology that can significantly transform education, yet we’re reverting to outdated methods like pen and paper or bow and arrows. It’s disheartening, and it won’t be effective.”
Popenici added that this was the ideal opportunity to reassess the evaluation methods and adopt multiple techniques appropriate for various types of assessments. Although there are significant challenges, he believes that education must rise to the occasion and come up with solutions.
