Integrating Generative AI in Education: How ChatGPT Brings Challenges for Future Learning and Teaching

Abstract

ChatGPT, a chatbot based on the Open-AI’s generative pre-trained (GPT) language models, has been hailed as a “24/7 tutor” that has transformed the way people view education in just under six months since its debut. (Jason Pohl, 2023; Kara Manke, 2023) The impact of AI on future learning and teaching has sparked discussions that draw parallels to the debates held over 2,000 years ago by renowned Greek philosophers such as Socrates (469-399 B.C.), Plato (427-347 B.C.), and Aristotle (384-322 B.C.). These ancient thinkers delved into theories pertaining to the acquisition and dissemination of new knowledge. By drawing these historical comparisons, we gain valuable insights into the ongoing discourse surrounding the influence of AI in education. Does Socrates’ dialectic method, in which truth is discovered through discussions with peers, still have a role in the learning process? Could the peer involved in this case be considered a chatbot?