ICS4U – Generative AI
ICS4U Learning Goals
In this ICS4U Grade 12 Computer Science lesson you will be learning about
- Generative AI and Large Language Models
- Ethical Concerns of Generative AI
- The concept of a Neural Network
Generative Artificial Intelligence
This year, you are going to look at some more advanced AI Concepts that are relevant to society:
Generative AI is a type of Artificial Intelligence that can produce various types of content including: text, pictures, video, audio, computer code, etc. There are many different types of models that employ Generative AI, but you are likely most familiar with ChatGPT.
Introduction
Evolution
Generative AI is relatively new technology but it has deep history that goes all the way back to the 1930’s. But it really started to become feasible upon the invention of generative adversarial networks (GANs), which is a type of machine learning algorithms. Check out the graphic here for a more detailed history of how the technology advanced over the last century
Ethics and Regulations for Generative AI
Generative AI in Education
Let’s do an experiment where I let ChatGPT generate some content for this lesson. I’m interested in the advantages and disadvantages of using Generative AI in Education. The following is what it came up with:
Advantages
Generative AI offers several advantages in the field of education, revolutionizing traditional teaching methods and enhancing the learning experience in various ways:
1. **Personalized Learning**: Generative AI can create personalized learning materials tailored to individual students’ needs, preferences, and learning styles. By analyzing students’ performance data and feedback, AI algorithms can generate customized quizzes, exercises, and educational content to optimize learning outcomes.
2. **Content Creation and Augmentation**: Generative AI can assist educators in creating high-quality educational content more efficiently. It can automatically generate interactive simulations, virtual labs, visual aids, and multimedia resources to supplement textbooks and lectures, making learning more engaging and effective.
3. **Language Learning and Translation**: Generative AI-powered language learning platforms can provide immersive language practice through conversation generation, text synthesis, and real-time translation. Students can interact with AI-generated conversational agents to improve their language skills and receive instant feedback on pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary usage.
4. **Tutoring and Support**: AI-powered tutoring systems can offer personalized assistance and support to students outside the classroom. Chatbots and virtual tutors equipped with natural language processing capabilities can answer students’ questions, provide explanations, offer hints, and facilitate self-paced learning anytime, anywhere.
5. **Adaptive Assessment and Feedback**: Generative AI algorithms can generate adaptive assessments and feedback mechanisms to assess students’ knowledge, skills, and progress. By analyzing students’ responses and learning patterns, AI systems can dynamically adjust the difficulty level of questions, identify areas of weakness, and provide targeted feedback to help students improve.
6. **Creativity and Collaboration**: Generative AI tools empower students to unleash their creativity and collaborate on innovative projects. They can use AI-generated content, such as artwork, music, stories, and video animations, as inspiration for their own creations or collaborate with AI systems to co-author content and explore new ideas.
7. **Accessibility and Inclusivity**: Generative AI technologies can enhance accessibility and inclusivity in education by providing adaptive learning solutions for students with diverse learning needs and disabilities. AI-powered assistive technologies, such as text-to-speech, speech recognition, and image captioning, can support students with visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive impairments to access educational materials and participate in learning activities more effectively.
Overall, generative AI has the potential to revolutionize education by personalizing learning experiences, facilitating content creation and augmentation, providing adaptive support and feedback, fostering creativity and collaboration, and promoting accessibility and inclusivity for all learners.
Disadvantages
While generative AI holds great promise in education, there are also several disadvantages and challenges associated with its implementation:
1. **Quality and Reliability**: The generated content may not always meet the same quality standards as human-created educational materials. AI-generated text, images, and other resources may contain errors, inaccuracies, or biases, undermining the credibility and effectiveness of educational content.
2. **Bias and Fairness**: Generative AI models trained on biased or incomplete datasets may perpetuate and amplify existing societal biases and stereotypes in educational materials. This can lead to unfair treatment, discrimination, and exclusion of certain groups of students, reinforcing inequalities in education.
3. **Lack of Human Interaction**: Over-reliance on AI-powered tutoring systems and virtual assistants may reduce opportunities for meaningful human interaction and personalized support in education. Students may miss out on the social and emotional benefits of face-to-face interactions with teachers and peers, hindering their social development and engagement in learning.
4. **Privacy and Data Security**: Generative AI systems that collect and process large amounts of student data raise concerns about privacy and data security. There is a risk of unauthorized access, data breaches, and misuse of sensitive information, compromising students’ privacy rights and confidentiality in educational settings.
5. **Ethical Concerns**: The use of generative AI in education raises ethical concerns related to transparency, consent, and accountability. Students, parents, and educators may not fully understand how AI algorithms work or have control over the data and decisions generated by these systems, leading to ethical dilemmas and mistrust.
6. **Dependency and Reliance**: Excessive reliance on AI-powered tools and automation may foster dependency among students and educators, diminishing critical thinking skills, creativity, and self-directed learning abilities. Students may become passive consumers of AI-generated content rather than active participants in the learning process.
7. **Digital Divide**: Generative AI technologies require access to reliable internet connectivity, computing devices, and digital literacy skills, which may exacerbate existing disparities in access to quality education. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds or underserved communities may face barriers to adopting and benefiting from AI-powered educational tools.
8. **Cost and Resource Constraints**: Implementing and maintaining generative AI systems in educational institutions can be costly and resource-intensive. Many schools and universities may lack the necessary funding, infrastructure, and expertise to deploy and support AI technologies effectively, widening the gap between early adopters and latecomers in educational innovation.
Addressing these disadvantages and challenges requires careful consideration of ethical, social, and technical issues, as well as collaboration between educators, policymakers, technologists, and other stakeholders to ensure that generative AI is deployed responsibly and equitably in education.
ICS4U - Ethical Use of ChatGPT Activity
Should students be able to use ChatGPT (or Other AI Tools) to complete school assignments?
- Think about the benefits FOR STUDENTS when using technology in an educational setting.
- Think about the drawbacks FOR STUDENTS when using this technology in an educational setting.
- Does the subject where it is being used influence your answer?