, or “generative, pre-trained transformer,” a free, AI chatbot that can answer open-ended questions, write essays, invent jokes and explain complicated scientific principles.Sign up to receive daily headline news from Ottawa Citizen, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You may unsubscribe any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails or any newsletter.
I type in a typical grade 10 English essay prompt: Comment on the theme of social class in A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. “The play examines the way that power can corrupt and destroy those who wield it, while the novel examines the ways that new forms of power and authority challenge and ultimately destroy the traditional Igbo way of life.”
So where does this amazing machine leave teachers? I turn to two human beings for information. Dr. Neil Selwyn, an expert in educational technology at Australia’s Monash University, tells me, “AI chat machines are going to make even more work for teachers, not put them out of a job.” He adds that students need to be taught to recognize when they are interacting with a bot, how to use AI tools productively, and how to communicate in ways that are superior to machines.