More than half of computing teachers think schools are unprepared for the impact that generative AI chatbot ChatGPT could have on learning, research has found. However, computing teachers want support to harness its potential rather than banning it, according to the industry body for IT.
BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, said a survey of its Computing at School network of teachers found that 62% said AI-powered chatbots such as ChatGPT would make it harder to mark the work of students fairly. ChatGPT is a form of generative AI, which has come to prominence in recent months after a version of it was released to the public last year.
The chatbot is able to respond to questions in a human-like manner and understand the context of follow-up queries much like in human conversations, as well as being able to compose essays if asked – sparking fears it could be used by students to complete assignments. Tech giants Microsoft and Google have both announced they are adding the technology to their respective search engines as a way of evolving how online searches are carried out.
