In another episode of OPEN Talk held on 13 April 2023, University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) presented ChatGPT Episode 2 that tackled the dark side and bright future of Artificial Intelligence (AI), its implications, downside especially in the educational institutions, its ethical considerations, and positive contributions. The said episode was spearheaded by notable resource speakers, namely, Dr. Vladimir Mariano, Lead Faculty for Technology and Innovation, Young Southeast Asian Leadership Initiatives (YSEALI), Fulbright University, Vietnam, and Affiliate Faculty, Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS), UPOU; and, Dr. Alexander G. Flor, Professor and Former Dean, FICS UPOU.
According to Dr. Mariano, ChatGPT is an AI-powered chatbot that can function like a research assistant as it can generate new ideas. With the rise of the AI chatbot, the disapproval by scientists on its usage was also evident as it cannot take responsibility for what is inside or written in the article. However, in the educational sphere, there is an expected change because of the large model language and the use of AI like ChatGPT and therefore can assist students and organizations in the school works, jobs, and other tasks.
On the other hand, Dr. Flor shared that ChatGPT is a benign tool and cannot conceptualize or create a thesis for example, but rather to just compose. According to him, the AI chatbot still cannot perform what humans can as the meta cognitive barrier was not breached yet. He added that In the context of education and the educational system, the impacts of ChatGPT include only composition but not the thinking frame per se. Though AI is an essential tool, it can also impact employment in different industries as tasks can be done through automation without further human intervention.
The event was moderated by Asst. Prof. Mari Anjeli Crisanto, FICS Faculty, current Director of the Quality Assurance Office, UPOU, and Program Chair of the Diploma in Computer Science. The discussion concluded with the resource speakers agreeing that while there are still many arguments on the advantages and disadvantages of ChatGPT especially in the education sector, its progress still lies on the values or ethics, policies undertaken, and the overall usage of technologies.
The recorded virtual event may still be viewed at the UPOU Networks Facebook Page.
Contributed by Allessa Shainne Hostalero
Edited by Anna Cañas-Llamas and Myra C. Almodiel
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