While ChatGPT — an AI-powered chatbot — may have taken the internet by storm, the New York City Department of Education is taking measures to ensure the technology doesn't negatively impact student learning.
What Happened: NYC students and teachers cannot access chatGPT on the education department's devices or internet networks, reported Chalkbeat.
See Also: Google's ChatGPT Worries Get Bigger As Microsoft Said To Plan Bing Search Utilizing Same AI
"Due to concerns about negative impacts on student learning, and concerns regarding the safety and accuracy of content, access to ChatGPT is restricted on New York City Public Schools' networks and devices," said Jenna Lyle, an education department spokesperson.
"While the tool may be able to provide quick and easy answers to questions, it does not build critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, which are essential for academic and lifelong success," added Lyle.
Why It's Important: The restriction comes after some schools and educators voiced concerns about the technology enabling students to write pitch-perfect essays and making writing assignments obsolete. They feared that chatGPT could encourage duplicity and plagiarism, the report noted.
OpenAI's chatGPT is an advanced technology and can write poetry and answer complicated questions typically reserved for professionals, among other things.
However, there are concerns that technology could also be misused. Renowned venture capitalist Paul Graham said if AI can save people from writing, it could keep them from "having the ideas that writing engenders."
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