GitLab

Expert System (AI) is reinventing education while making finding out more available however likewise sparking debates on its effect.

While students hail AI tools like ChatGPT for enhancing their learning experience, speakers are raising issues about the growing reliance on AI, which they argue fosters laziness and weakens academic stability, particularly with numerous trainees not able to safeguard their assignments or offered works.

Prof. Isaac Nwaogwugwu, a speaker at the University of Lagos, in an interview with Nairametrics, revealed aggravation over the growing reliance on AI-generated responses amongst students stating a recent experience he had.

RelatedStories

Avoid sharing individual information that can determine you with AI tools- Expert warns

Chinese AI app DeepSeek stimulates worldwide tech selloff, difficulties U.S. AI dominance

"I offered an assignment to my MBA trainees, and out of over 100 students, about 40% sent the precise very same answers. These trainees did not even understand each other, but they all used the very same AI tool to create their responses," he said.

He kept in mind that this trend is widespread amongst both undergraduate and postgraduate students but is specifically worrying in part-time and distance learning programs.

"AI is a severe difficulty when it comes to projects. Many students no longer think critically-they simply go on the internet, produce answers, and submit," he added.

Surprisingly, some speakers are likewise implicated of over-relying on AI, setting a cycle where both teachers and students turn to AI for benefit instead of intellectual rigor.

This debate raises important concerns about the role of AI in academic stability and trainee development.

According to a UNESCO report, while ChatGPT reached 100 million monthly active users in January 2023, just one nation had released regulations on generative AI since July 2023.

As of December 2024, ChatGPT had over 300 million people utilizing the AI chatbot weekly and 1 billion messages sent every day around the globe.

Decline of scholastic rigor

University lecturers are significantly concerned about trainees submitting AI-generated projects without truly comprehending the material.

Dr. Felix Echekoba, a speaker at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, canadasimple.com expressed his concerns to Nairametrics about trainees increasingly depending on ChatGPT, just to deal with answering basic questions when evaluated.

"Many trainees copy from ChatGPT and submit sleek projects, however when asked standard concerns, they go blank. It's frustrating due to the fact that education has to do with discovering, not just passing courses," he said.

- Prof. Nwaogwugwu mentioned that the increasing number of first-rate graduates can not be completely associated to AI but admitted that even high-performing trainees use these tools.
"A first-rate student is a superior student, AI or not, however that doesn't suggest they do not cheat. The advantages of AI might be peripheral, however it is making students reliant and less analytical," he stated.

- Another lecturer, Dr. Ereke, classifieds.ocala-news.com from Ebonyi State University, raised a different concern that some lecturers themselves are guilty of the very same practice.
"It's not just students utilizing AI slackly. Some lecturers, out of their own laziness, create lesson notes, course details, marking plans, and even exam concerns with AI without evaluating them. Students in turn utilize AI to create responses. It's a cycle of laziness and it is killing real knowing," he regreted.

Students' point of views on usage

Students, on the other hand, state AI has improved their learning experience by making scholastic materials more easy to understand and available.

- Eniola Arowosafe, a 300-level Business Administration trainee at Unilag, shared how AI has significantly aided her knowing by breaking down complex terms and supplying summaries of prolonged texts.
"AI helped me understand things more quickly, especially when handling complicated subjects," she explained.

However, lovewiki.faith she remembered a circumstances when she used AI to submit her job, only for her lecturer to immediately recognize that it was produced by ChatGPT and forum.batman.gainedge.org decline it. Eniola kept in mind that it was a good-bad effect.

- Bryan Okwuba, who just recently finished with a superior degree in Pharmacy Technology from the University of Lagos, strongly believes that his scholastic success wasn't due to any AI tool. He associates his outstanding grades to actively appealing by asking concerns and concentrating on locations that speakers emphasize in class, as they are often shown in examination concerns.
"It's everything about being present, focusing, and using the wealth of knowledge shared by my colleagues," he said,

- Tunde Awoshita, a final-year marketing student at UNIZIK, confesses to periodically copying directly from ChatGPT when dealing with multiple due dates.
"To be truthful, there are times I copy straight from ChatGPT when I have numerous deadlines, and I know I'm guilty of that, the majority of times the speakers do not get to check out them, but AI has actually also helped me discover faster."

Balancing AI's function in education

Experts believe the service lies in AI literacy; mentor trainees and lecturers how to use AI as a learning help rather than a shortcut.

- Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, highlighted the combination of AI into Nigeria's education system, worrying the significance of a well balanced method that keeps human participation while utilizing AI to improve finding out results.
"As we browse the quickly evolving landscape of Expert system (AI), it is crucial that we prioritise human firm in education. We must make sure that AI improves, rather than changes, educators' vital role in shaping young minds," he stated

Concerns over AI in Learning

Dorcas Akintade, a cybersecurity change expert, addressed growing concerns regarding using synthetic intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT and their possible risks to the academic system.

- She acknowledged the advantages of AI, however, emphasized the requirement for caution in its use.
- Akintade highlighted the increasing hesitance among teachers and schools toward integrating AI tools in learning environments. She recognized 2 primary reasons AI tools are prevented in instructional settings: security dangers and plagiarism. She explained that AI tools like ChatGPT are trained to respond based on user interactions, which may not line up with the expectations of teachers.
"It is not taking a look at it as a tutor," Akintade stated, describing that AI does not cater to specific teaching techniques.

Plagiarism is another problem, as AI pulls from existing information, often without proper attribution

"A great deal of people need to understand, like I said, this is data that has actually been trained on. It is not just bringing things out from the sky. It's bringing details that some other people are fed into it, which in essence indicates that is another individual's paperwork," she cautioned.

- Additionally, Akintade highlighted an early issue in AI advancement referred to as "hallucination," where AI tools would produce information that was not factual.
"Hallucination suggested that it was bringing out info from the air. If ChatGPT might not get that information from you, it was going to make one up," she discussed.

She suggested "grounding" AI by providing it with specific information to prevent such errors.

Navigating AI in Education

Akintade argued that banning AI tools outright is not the solution, particularly when AI presents an opportunity to leapfrog traditional academic approaches.

- She thinks that consistently strengthening key information helps individuals keep in mind and avoid making errors when faced with difficulties.
"Immersion brings conversion. When you inform people the same thing over and over again, when they will make the errors, then they'll keep in mind."

She also empasized the requirement for clear and king-wifi.win treatments within schools, keeping in mind that numerous schools must address the people and procedure elements of this usage.

- Prof. Nwaogwugwu has actually turned to in-class assignments and tests to counter AI-driven academic dishonesty.
"Now, I generally use assignments to make sure students offer original work." However, he acknowledged that handling large classes makes this method difficult.

"If you set complicated concerns, trainees won't have the ability to utilize AI to get direct responses," he described.

He highlighted the need for universities to train speakers on crafting examination questions that AI can not quickly resolve while acknowledging that some lecturers struggle to counter AI misuse due to a lack of technological awareness. "Some speakers are analogue," he stated.

- Nigeria released a draft National AI Strategy in August 2024, concentrating on ethical AI advancement with fairness, openness, accountability, and privacy at its core.
- UNESCO in a report requires the guideline of AI in education, advising organizations to audit algorithms, data, and outputs of generative AI tools to ensure they meet ethical standards, safeguard user data, and filter improper content.
- It stresses the need to assess the long-lasting impact of AI on crucial skills like believing and ai creativity while producing policies that line up with ethical structures. Additionally, UNESCO advises carrying out age restrictions for GenAI use to secure more youthful trainees and protect susceptible groups.
- For governments, it encouraged embracing a collaborated nationwide technique to controling GenAI, including developing oversight bodies and lining up policies with existing data protection and privacy laws. It emphasizes assessing AI dangers, enforcing more stringent rules for high-risk applications, and guaranteeing nationwide data ownership.