Eight lawsuits.
Mass psychosis.
It’s used as a suicide coach.
Yet, it’s seen as a learning tool, an assistant, and for some, a friend.
The culprit: ChatGPT.
Since its launch by OpenAI in Nov. 2022, ChatGPT has changed learning environments across the globe. From writing essays to simplifying lessons, ChatGPT stands out as a platform that will change the education system forever.
However, Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) banned the usage of ChatGPT on school devices and internet on Feb. 19.
In an email to parents and students, the district explained the ban is due to new features added by OpenAI that allow for collaborative interaction, a service that allows a maximum of 20 people to interact in the same chat room. More importantly, the AI service will soon add an adult mode, where users 18 and over can access and generate mature content.
BVSD Director of Academic Services Lynn Gershwin heads the AI committee, whose job is to develop a compromise for AI use at school, had a front row seat as the restriction cracked down.
“We will only block things if there’s safety concern or it’s something we can’t manage through our settings,” Gershwin said.
She said the main concern for BVSD is safety, especially with the adult mode feature.
“We are blocking it because we don’t want kids to be able to go in there and be exposed to adult content while they’re at school or while they’re using a BVSD device,” Gershwin said.
Since the district cannot control the specific features that are safety concerns, the program was banned as a whole.
“ChatGPT said that the way they were going to make sure people are 18 and over was that you would show a selfie and that the app would predict how old you are,” Gershwin said. “That’s pretty easy to lie about.”
In addition to mature content, a recurring safety concern is the effect the service has on mental health. Lydia Whalen (10), a student on the district AI committee, stays informed about AI and its history of manipulation and impact on users’ mental health.
“AI has been proven to be detrimental to mental health for teenagers,” Whalen said. “There have been cases of suicide and harm to themselves and others.”
When the district banned ChatGPT, Whalen expressed that the committee addressed concerns with mental health. Whalen believes that ChatGPT handles and responds to negative input.
“AI really just spits back out what you give it,” Whalen said. “So, if you give it, hateful, hate, hate, hate, that’s what it will give you.”
Whalen believes that as AI services continue to grow, there’s an increasing need to teach students how to use AI safely and ethically.
“We should teach students how to use it, but I don’t necessarily trust that everybody would use it responsibly,” Whalen said.
Nathan Cheek (11), who is also on the AI committee, has a different take.
“I really believe in AI as an educational tool,” he said. “I really value it as a thinking partner, and I want to make sure that everyone will be able to have those same experiences that I can.”
When used correctly, Cheek believes there are endless possibilities with AI.
“When it’s allowed and moderated, you can use it as a thinking partner, help you brainstorm ideas, get feedback, walk you through why something is wrong, rather than just give you correct answers,” he said.
Focused on the teaching aspects of the service, Cheek supports ChatGPT being in a classroom to enhance learning.
“When used correctly, it can be really valuable to bounce ideas off of to guide you through concepts or present information in ways that would not be traditionally available,” he said.
While some educators may worry about cheating, Cheek believes this isn’t a valid reason to be against AI, as the consequences will come on their own.
“If you are just using it to get answers, then you’re ultimately doing yourself a disservice in the end,” he said.
Science teacher Courtney Van Der Linden sees the need for the ChatGPT ban, as the service poses a large threat to learning.
“In any lesson plan, the thinking is the learning, and students are often using AI to bypass the thinking,” Van Der Linden said. “They use it to answer any question before they pause and ask their brains if they know the answer.”
When the thinking stage is skipped, it leads to the concern if students are really learning.
As this generation learns and develops with new ever-changing technology such as AI, it leads to change in the way learning happens in BVSD.
“Learning is supposed to be hard,” Van Der Linden said. “It is not easy to grow neurons. By avoiding reading comprehension, struggling, asking someone for help, and the discussions with classmates on content, the neurons are not growing.”
