AI In Education: Impeding or Enhancing

There is no question that AI has usurped an insurmountable amount of workplace actions. With technology like ChatGPT on the rise, we can only expect more jobs to be overtaken by Machine learning. Medicritics worry that human-like AI such as the aforementioned site will blur the lines between machine and man.

While it is true that the software may pose issues involving plagiarism and overtaking white-collar jobs, AI offers accommodations for students with learning disabilities. However, the software must be used ethically to pose a net benefit. Using it to write code for a school assignment or workplace is problematic and not beneficial to individual growth. 

Machine learning can help students with dyslexia and ADHD because it can help them to better understand and remember information. However, some fail to acknowledge the affordances machine learning offers for those with narrow divergences. If one is dyslexic, reading an academic journal may pose obstacles beyond the highly sophisticated language used. Software like Chat GPT can alter the text to provide a more digestible composition. Machine learning algorithms can analyze data and find patterns, which can help students with dyslexia and ADHD to better understand how information is organized. Additionally, machine learning algorithms can help students remember information more easily by creating personalized study plans.

In a NY Post article, the author notes, “So promising are the tool’s capabilities that Microsoft — amid laying off 10,000 people — has announced a “multiyear, multibillion-dollar investment” in the revolutionary technology, which is growing smarter by the day….As it stands now, ChatGPT — currently banned in NYC schools.”

There are both positives and negatives to ChatGPT being banned in NYC schools. On the one hand, the ban is a positive development because it helps to keep students safe and focused on their studies. On the other hand, the ban could be seen as a negative development because it could prevent students from using a tool that could help them learn and communicate with others. Especially for students with learning disabilities and struggles. 

While it makes sense that the software is off-limits in schools for plagiarism purposes, officials are missing an opportunity to assist students with language barriers and neurodivergence. The free software students, especially from disenfranchised communities, wouldn’t have to worry about paying for extra assistance, whether that be a personal aide or some type of monetarily based software like Sonnocent. Chat GPT could become part of 504 and IEP plans while still making it against the rules for plagiarism for all students. 

Options that are included in the platform consist of rewriting and rewriting content for different reading levels, highlighting main ideas, and so much more. While posing obstacles for education institutions in the realm of plagiarism, it offsets the labor needed for students with learning differences.  

We know the software is highly popular, reaching a million users just five days after its founding in November 2022. Other popular platforms like Facebook and Netflix took months to years to reach the same status.However, with such large numbers of users engaging with Chatgpt, there is a risk that some may not use it ethically. It is important for users to take responsibility for their own behavior when using Chatgpt and ensure they are following terms of service and privacy policies set by the platform provider.

While the innovation may impede White Collar jobs, it doesn’t mean it detracts from the entire function of our education system in all facets. Though there are obvious obstacles around the ideas of plagiarism and high quality, little effort results, AI is a free tool that can allow for equity in special education programs. That being said, clear boundaries must be established to limit harmful effects. ChatGPT does not help students learn how to think critically, or problem solve if they are completely doing their work for them and, therefore, does not prepare students for the academic challenges of college. When used in an appropriate manner as an assistive tool to reword existing work in a more understandable fashion, not to complete assignments, is when the software shines most.