Tertiary education regulators and institutions have been urged to develop policies to regulate the use of ChatGPT and other similar artificial intelligence (AI) tools in academia.
These AI tools help students and lecturers to write essays, conduct research, do power point presentations, develop lesson notes, find solutions to questions and make learning and assignments easier.
However according to Mr Richard Dayie, an AI expert at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), the increasing use of these tools in education calls for regulation to ensure ethical and responsible usage.
He made the assertion last Thursday when he addressed a technology trends and awareness webinar series session organised by the Department of Information Technology Studies of UPSA.
The initiative of the Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Studies was on the theme “Artificial Intelligence: CHATGPT Implications for Education and Research.
The virtual event, open to academia, students and the public aims to raise awareness of digital technology developments and their implications for individuals, organisations, and society.
Mr Dayie said AI is used in a variety of industries, ranging from healthcare to finance while CHATGPT was becoming increasingly popular in the field of education.
He said the CHATGPT offered a unique lesson for each student and quick feedback on student’s work while for teachers, it helps with grading and attendance tracking as well as generating new learning materials.
However, he said, there were challenges with the tools as students who were oblivious or did not have access to the software were disadvantaged as well as ethical issues.
In the research arena, Mr Dayie said, there were issues with research integrity as the AI was supposed to support and not replace the researcher in carrying out investigation.
“While harnessing the potential of the AI we should ensure that the negative effects are minimised,” he said.
While academia awaits regulation on the use of AI, Mr Dayie advised that students should be taught how to use them wisely to prevent academic dishonesty.
In his welcome address, Dr Emmanuel Owusu-Oware, the Vice Dean of the Faculty and Chairman of the Technology Trends and Awareness Creation Committee said AI had good and bad sides and highlighting them would help students and lecturers make informed decisions.
The Director of the Documentation and Information Management Centre of UPSA, Dr Edwin Ayernor, who presided over the event urged educators to look for other ways of assessing students that could not be assisted by AI.
BY JONATHAN DONKOR
