Having a computer write your school assignments is a tempting prospect, and now that temptation has become a reality for Central Otago students. 

The development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology has led to the creation of Chat GPT, a language processing tool driven by AI that allows you to have human-like conversations and much more with the chatbot. 

The language model can answer questions and assist you with tasks like composing emails, essays, and code. 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to perform tasks that would typically require human intelligence.

AI is achieved through the development of algorithms and computer programmes that can learn and adapt from the data they are given. The goal of AI is to create machines that can perform tasks typically performed by humans, with greater speed, accuracy, and efficiency.

Chat GPT is free and easily accessible through phones and laptops. Schools have started to block Chat GPT but students, including those here in Central, have still had the opportunity to test it out. 

“I haven’t used it to write an internal for me but I’ve definitely asked it questions about my topic if I’ve gotten stuck. It’s actually a really good resource,” one Dunstan student told the Central App.

Another student agreed, saying: “I think the technology is dangerous in terms of plagiarism but it can also be useful.” 

While this technology has its benefits, there are downsides. 

In the academic world, plagiarism can lead to severe consequences such as failing a course or being expelled from the institution.

Plagiarism is an unethical practice, and it undermines the values of honesty, originality, and creativity. It can also create an unfair advantage for the individual or organisation involved.

Plagiarism can also lead to a decline in the quality of work being produced. When people engage in plagiarism, they are not producing original content, but instead are recycling someone else's work, which can affect the quality of the work being produced.

ChatGPT can be misused to generate content that is not original, and this can lead to accusations of plagiarism. It is important to use ChatGPT responsibly and ethically and to give proper credit when using content generated by the language model.

If you’re wondering how good AI is, the parts of this article in italics were written using Chat GPT. Want to try it for yourself? You can sign up here.