Open AI and Chat GPT.. implications for language learning.

Always focus on learning outcomes.

This is an exciting time we live in. The next generation of Artificial Intelligence technologies are being made available to users and we are all discovering the power of this technology, although it is still in its infancy. Even a small glimpse of this new world has created shock waves around the world.

Headlines abound. Students will copy term papers, architects will disappear, programmers will be replaced. And many more such headlines of the same ilk. The reality is a lot more complicated.

In order to understand the power of this technology ( and its limitations) one must understand what it is based upon. Chat GPT, created by Open AI Inc. takes upwards of half a trillion words of text and captures it with 100 billion parameters to create plausible prose, relevant and well structured. However, this Bot has no understanding of the facts of the world. So it can come up with absurd conclusions. It is a bit like Google Translate, good for 80% accuracy but falling short for precise and accurate translations. Steven Pinker Professor at Harvard University asked Chat GPT the following question: ‘If Mabel was alive at 9 am and 5 pm, was she alive at noon” It responded “ It was not specified whether Mabel was alive at noon. She is known to be alive at 9 and 5, but there is no information about her being alive at noon”

I know this model will improve and will not make such absurd statements in the future, but our world is so complex and human beings are so talented that it will take a long time before it can replicate what we humans can do, if ever.

But the exciting part is that just like online learning, Chat GPT will enhance learning by harnessing technology for a more productive and customized learning experience.

Now let us talk about implication for Language Learning. Since Chat GPT is a written language based model it will be more useful to enhance writing feedback and making the teacher’s job easier in providing feedback on student’s writing in a new language. Another exciting area is helping teachers create more customized learning material for students that makes language learners gain more value from personalized learning. Companies can create custom learning plans created on-demand to target specific job roles, industries and current events.

It is early days and we at Ardor Learning have been actively looking at Chat GPT and other AI technologies for several years and will be announcing exciting new features and solutions. In doing so we will always follow our pedagogic principles. Use technology to enhance learning outcomes, not blindly adopt it.

In the words of Sal Khan at Khan Academy “ New technologies like Chap GPT can support rather than threaten the traditional teaching model just like what online learning did”