Schools banning ChatGPT: The risks of limiting access to technology

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  Quantumrun Foresight
• April 28, 2023

Insight summary

Many schools are banning the AI chatbot ChatGPT from their networks in response to concerns over cheating and decreased critical-thinking skills. However, experts argue that prohibiting AI tools is unrealistic and that adapting to these technologies may be more beneficial as they provide versatile tools for teachers and students. Critics of the ban suggest it could hinder the development of digital and AI literacy among students, exacerbate educational disparities, and create a skills gap in understanding emerging technologies.

Schools banning ChatGPT context

Following Seattle schools' move in December 2022 to restrict students' use of generative AI, many other school districts across the US have followed suit. In response to concerns about cheating and the lack of support for developing critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, the New York City Public Schools (the biggest school district in the country) banned ChatGPT in early January 2023. However, experts believe it's unrealistic to stop using AI chatbots entirely. 

While these schools have prohibited ChatGPT on district-supplied devices and internet, students can use the tool on their personal devices or at home and then email the answers to themselves. As such, some educators think that the ideal approach to AI technologies is to accept and adapt to these tools. Regardless of the potential challenges or benefits, they predict that AI is set to bring significant changes to the education sector. 

ChatGPT offers versatile applications for teachers and students; educators can use it to formulate quiz questions, pinpoint primary sources in student essays, or modify assignments for different reading levels. Meanwhile, students can employ the tool for test preparation, investigating topics, and crafting emails to their professors or prospective employers. However, educators worry that chatbots may prompt widespread cheating and plagiarism. Additionally, they risk damaging trust with their students if they wrongly accuse someone of cheating using AI.

Disruptive impact

OpenAI has expressed its intent to avoid misuse of ChatGPT in schools and is eager to collaborate with educators to craft beneficial AI solutions for students and teachers. Shana Ramin, a technology integration specialist at Oakland Schools in Michigan, highlighted that ChatGPT can simplify complex texts for students with lower reading levels, including those with learning disabilities or those for whom English isn't their first language. 

Matt Miller, an educational technology writer, pointed out that some time-constrained teachers are using the software for assistance in creating lesson plans and editing students' work. The Vice Dean for Digital Innovation at Columbia University suggested that the tool be viewed as a new learning opportunity, drawing parallels with the initial criticism of graphing calculators that were once thought to hinder students from manually working through formulas.

An article in the MIT Technology Review discussed that banning ChatGPT can cause more harm than good. Instead of guiding students to use this technology responsibly by experimenting with it and presenting their findings, banning AI tools can only encourage students to use them illicitly. It can also send the wrong message that technology is something students should fear and use secretly instead of actively discussing its benefits and limitations.

Implications of schools banning ChatGPT

Wider implications of schools banning ChatGPT may include: 

• Inhibiting the development of digital and AI literacy among students. With the increasing digitization of the world and industries, being familiar with AI and associated technologies is essential.
• Economically disadvantaged students facing even greater educational disparities without access to AI tools, exacerbating social inequality in the long term. There may also be a widening education disparity among different regions, leading to demographic imbalances in opportunities and resources.
• A decrease in student engagement and learning effectiveness, as these AI tools could otherwise curate personalized learning curricula.
• A widening skills gap where future employees lack the necessary understanding of emerging technologies, limiting technological progress and economic growth.
• Fewer innovations in education could emerge, limiting the technological advancement of these tools, particularly for the future workforce.
• Additional policies that restrict the use of alternate forms of AI. Such future policies may be perceived as hindering technological progress and freedom of access to information, leading to public discontent and debates.
• Teachers' upskilling being limited due to unequal access to emerging technologies, potentially making the education sector less adaptive to future needs.
• An international disadvantage in terms of preparing students for the digital world, leading to some schools having lower competitive standing in the global economy and technology sectors.
• Schools relying on more traditional, potentially less environmentally friendly teaching and learning methods, including increased paper waste.

Questions to consider

• If you're a student, how does your school incorporate AI technologies like ChatGPT?
• How might schools responsibly use this tool and encourage its proper use?