STAFF WRITER: Maddie Nicklow

What is ChatGPT?

By now, almost everyone has heard of or even used ChatGPT, but what is it? ChatGPT, standing for “Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer,” is a program made to create human-like dialogue. The program is able to create things such as full conversations or creating new ideas for its users. The platform has gained popularity over time and now has over 100 million users – and is still growing. With this new kind of technology becoming so popular, it’s no wonder that ChatGPT is having an effect on daily life, but also effecting campus life as well. 

ChatGPT on Campus

ChatGPT has had such an influence in today’s world that many university professors nationwide have made mention of the Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) source and have warned students about it. Yet, more have actually encouraged it in the workspace. The reason?  Many say it has a positive impact on giving instruction, with 88% of professors, and 79% of students both agreeing. On the other hand, many disagree, saying that this source actually has a negative effect on students. According to this study conducted by the Impact Research/Walton Foundation, 51% of students have admitted to using ChatGPT as a tool to cheat on any assignments or tests they may have. With the mixed reviews and opinions of ChatGPT, how does it truly affect college life as a student?

what do students think?

A study done by the New York Times took the opinions of students who have used ChatGPT and how it has affected them personally in their academic career. Students have different perspectives on the topic, but the main concern was the reliability. Many agreed that yes, the A.I. source is useful, but not reliable. Those who have agreed shared their personal experiences with the program by mentioning how they themselves would use it to assist with school related work, but never found it truly reliable, stating that the chatbot itself is very underdeveloped. Amongst those who do agree, some have stated that the chatbot is useful for aiding those completing school related work, helping those in need. It was said that it would be “very unreasonable to students if their schools completely banned the tool of writing A.I. ‘s.” Continuing on by saying that this type of A.I. will be the future, not only for schools and students, but everyone in the world as well. 

On the other hand, those that have disagreed stated how ChatGPT can rob students of their motivation to complete their work, or even ruin the idea of school education itself. Many of the arguments come from the fact that the chatbot can complete everything for the user, taking away the need to put the proper work or effort into the project given. 

What do you think?

I was able to interview Mark Shenouda, a student studying Computer Science at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, on the topic of ChatGPT and how it is used across all platforms, including how it affects campus life. 

Mark had stated that he thinks “A.I.,in general, it is an incredible tool and milestone for many,” but does disagree with certain usages of this new technology. For example, one of Mark’s concerns with A.I. is how it can affect some jobs. 

“It is a touchy subject, especially for A.I. generated art, just because it can take away from actual artists’ work,” according to Mark. But not every aspect of A.I. and chatbots such as ChatGPT are bad, just used in the wrong way. “ChatGPT is a very impressive source, but where it’s used is the issue,” then going on to say that yes, while it is a good source, many use it to cheat on assignments from professors. “It should be discouraged in classrooms just because so many use it for the wrong reason.” Because of how many do use ChatGPT and other chatbot or A.I. related sources, Mark mentioned that there should be “more regulations for it, especially in this day.”

So, what does this mean for you? What’s your stance on the usage of ChatGPT?

This kind of A.I. is still a new program. It’s still learning and still developing. Yet, it is growing in popularity and will most likely continue. Some feel that ChatGPT is a powerful, helpful tool, but some say otherwise. 

Take time to see how you feel about it personally and do your own research on artificial intelligence. There’s a free version on Snapchat you should check out!