BANGOR, Maine — Maine educators and students alike are taken aback by a new artificial intelligence chatbot and are learning how to take advantage of the tech's abilities within the classroom.
ChatGPT, created by AI research company OpenAI, is able to generate any prompt you give it.
At Bangor High School, history teacher Brandi LeRoy said she's already had students try to pass the chatbot's work as their own as a result.
"It's a little scary," LeRoy said. "When you type in write me a lesson plan, it will write you a lesson plan. So it's like, 'Am I going to become obsolete'?"
LeRoy said, so far, she's been able to determine when students are cheating when their work doesn't match their own writing style. The teacher said she also uses online AI-detecting software for every essay as well.
However, University of Maine professor Jon Ippolito said these detectors may not be efficient for long due to the AI's learning abilities.
"Imagine an arms race where someone says 'Okay, I've figured out how to detect AI'. Then, the anti-plagiarism software says 'We'll have to upgrade our software,'" Ippolito said. "The AI uses that as a test to use its ability to imitate a human. We're never going to win that arms race."
He said, instead, educators should try and teach both the ethics of using AI as well as how to use it to their advantage in the classroom.
"Let's not abandon this new technology, but also, let's not completely give into it. Let's mix and match," Ippolito said.
In Maine classrooms, LeRoy said she's using AI to create outlines, generate questions or review school work. And it is just the tip of the iceberg.
"As humans, we're afraid of things that are new. This really is no different than the calculator coming out," LeRoy said.
As a test, NEWS CENTER Maine asked ChatGPT to generate this exact story. Here's what it gave us:
Anchor: "Good evening, Maine. As students head back to the classroom, one new face they might be seeing is not actually a person, but a language model. ChatGPT, a large language model trained by OpenAI, is making its way into Maine's classrooms to assist in the learning process.
Our reporter, [Reporter's Name], has more on this exciting development. [Reporter's Name], what can you tell us?"
Reporter: "Thank you, [Anchor's Name]. As Maine's education system continues to evolve, ChatGPT is the latest addition to classrooms across the state. This AI-powered language model has been designed to assist teachers in their day-to-day instruction, answering questions and providing feedback to students in real-time.
ChatGPT is already being used in a variety of subjects, from English and history to math and science. It's able to understand and respond to natural language questions, making it an incredibly versatile tool for both teachers and students.
But what does this mean for the future of education in Maine? Some experts believe that ChatGPT could revolutionize the way we learn, providing a more personalized and interactive experience for students of all ages. And with the continued development of artificial intelligence, it's clear that this is just the beginning.
So the next time your child comes home from school talking about ChatGPT, remember that they're not just learning from a machine, they're learning from the future. Back to you, [Anchor's Name]."