This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters.
As Chancellor of the nation’s largest school system, New York City Public Schools, I anticipated starting 2023 by continuing the crucial work of ensuring every student can read proficiently, preparing each student for well-paying jobs, and providing quality schools that are safe, welcoming, and supported by the entire community.
Naturally, our best-laid plans are sometimes disrupted by the advance of technology and innovation.
In November, OpenAI introduced ChatGPT to the public, unleashing the power of generative artificial intelligence and other programs that use vast data sets to generate new and original content. Due to potential misuse and concerns raised by educators in our schools, ChatGPT was soon placed on New York City Public Schools’ list of restricted websites. This doesn’t prohibit its use entirely, but it does require schools to request access for staff and students; websites like YouTube, Netflix, and Roblox share this classification.
This response allowed principals and educators to use ChatGPT while also signaling fear and risk, and it has sparked over 1,000 news articles since January. The knee-jerk fear and risk overlooked the potential of generative AI to support students and teachers, as well as the reality that our students are participating in and will work in a world where understanding generative AI is crucial.
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