AI offers academia fresh methods, but new headaches

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AI offers academia fresh methods, but new headaches

Published: 16 Sep. 2023, 07:00

Generative AI is increasingly becoming a part of people's daily lives. [AP/YONHAP]

Korean universities are taking open-minded approaches to embrace AI on their campuses but many have yet to shrug off the woes of its misuse.

“Points will be deducted if ChatGPT is not used,” read a syllabus for an electronic engineering lecture at Konkuk University in Seoul.

Professor Jeong Seung-ik, the lecturer for the class, assigned an essay assignment that requires students to use ChatGPT in his spring semester class. The syllabus was also written by ChatGPT.

The purpose was to “compel training on GPT usage,” Jeong said. “Essays containing art terms unfamiliar to engineering students were submitted with the help of ChatGPT.”

In a visual studies lecture at Sungkyunkwan University, students were tasked to use generative AI such as Dall-E or Midjourney to create an artwork.

Lee Hye-min, professor of film and multimedia who assigned the task, saw results rich in variations: a drawing of a student pursuing tens of different careers; a painting based on written descriptions of a perfume smell; and a script of a storybook on living a kind, brave life written by ChatGPT with its illustrations drawn by a text-to-image model.

“The biggest advantage of using AI is creating many pieces with pace,” said one of Lee’s students, who added that developers and engineers may be considered artists in the future.

In a survey of 219 undergraduates at Sungkyunkwan University, 86.8 percent said using ChatGPT has enhanced their learning capacity.

They used the AI service mostly on computer coding and programming at 33.3 percent, followed by writing papers, brainstorming ideas and studying for exams at 30.5 percent, 18.3 percent and 16.9 percent, respectively.

The two professors say the focus on using generative AI should be on the “how.”

“AI literacy is a requisite in an era of AI. The ability to interpret AI-made works is as important as the ability to use the service,” said Lee.

“The focus for education needs to shift from teaching how to find, to teaching how to ask good questions,” Jeong added.

The increased consideration for generative AI falls in line with President Yoon Suk Yeol’s urge to routinize the use of AI at a hyperscale AI-related meeting held at the former presidential compound Blue House on Wednesday.

Yoon said hyperscale AI will impact not only industries like semiconductors and data platform services but also national security.

He recommended that businesses make bold investments in the sector and promised that his administration would channel government investment to large data clouds to serve as a primer for the companies.

President Yoon Suk Yeol, center, speaks during a meeting on hyperscale AI held at the former presidential compound Blue House on Wednesday. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

Efforts to integrate AI into academics have been going on around the world by a handful of organizations abroad.

The International Baccalaureate (IB) announced in March that it will not ban the use of AI software in its diploma programs because such a move “is an ineffective way to deal with innovation.”

“We should embrace it as an extraordinary opportunity,” the IB said in a statement.

“Students will, however, need to be made aware that we do not regard work written by such tools to be their own.”

The London-based scientific journal Nature said it has no issue with AI being used to help write research papers as long as its use is properly disclosed.

“Months-long paperwork is trimmed to a few days with ChatGPT’s help,” said Jeon Chang-bae, head of the International Association for Artificial Ethics Association.

“ChatGPT can be utilized in statistics analysis, translation and summarization, freeing up more resources for research.”

Middle school and high school students attend a class on AI ethics at Bexco in Busan on Aug. 14. [SONG BONG-GEUN]

Nevertheless, concerns over plagiarism and misuse still linger.

The Russell Group — a self-selected association of 24 major U.K. universities — drew up guiding principles on generative AI in July.

Ensuring the “ethical use” and equal access to AI and sharing best practices moving forward were some of the guidelines agreed by the research-intensive schools.

Japan’s Education Ministry released guidelines urging primary and secondary schools and their students to stay on their toes when using generative AI.

It recommended ChatGPT be used by those aged over 13, citing the technology’s potential negative impact on students’ critical thinking skills.

Korean universities are drafting their own code of guidelines, starting with Kookmin University in February which had students double-check the information provided by AI and disclose its use.

Some institutions are considering a paradigm shift in tests and assignments. Australia’s Group of Eight universities in January said they would return to the old pen-and-paper exams this year after some students were caught using the software in their works.

“Teaching methods have to change to foster and evaluate problem-solving and communication skills that ChatGPT cannot replace,” said Hong Mun-pyo, professor of German language and literature and the head of admissions at Sungkyunkwan University.

“Banning ChatGPT is like swimming against a periodic trend.”

BY CHANG YOON-SEO, SOHN DONG-JOO [sohn.dongjoo@joongang.co.kr]