How do I talk to my kids about using ChatGPT and AI for homework? How do I explain the difference between cheating/ethics and using technology to help solve problems?
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Over the past year, artificial intelligence (AI), including ChatGPT, has become increasingly popular, making it important for parents, kids, and teachers to better understand how to incorporate this new technology into their homes and classrooms.
AI can be wonderful for things like content creation, language translation, and creative expression, but it can pose a moral dilemma when used to write entire essays or complete homework assignments.
That’s why we’ve put together our top tips for talking to your child about AI ethics.
- Establish your family values. Family values are the guiding principles that help your family make decisions and live your lives as authentically as possible. You can establish family values about anything — including the use of technology. Establishing family values around AI usage can help your child understand the WHY behind some of the restrictions you or their school have put in place. Here are some thought starters to help define your family’s values around AI:some text
- What role do you want AI to play in your life?
- How can AI help you to creatively express yourself or enhance learning?
- What are the boundaries that make you feel most comfortable surrounding AI usage?
- Explain plagiarism to your child. Teach your child that taking someone else’s work, including what is generated by AI, and passing it off as their own is considered cheating. Let them know that teachers can often detect the usage of AI and they could be flagged for plagiarism.
- Learn school policies surrounding AI. Some school districts have banned the use of ChatGPT, so take time to understand the limits. If AI usage is allowed, educate yourselves on the ways that it can enhance school assignments and remind your child that AI should be used authentically.
- Learn together. AI is rapidly evolving, so take some time to get curious as a family. Read articles, ask thoughtful questions, and get to know the fundamentals of the systems you are using and how they can best benefit you.
- Encourage critical thinking. Remind your child or teen that systems like ChatGPT offer up information that is not always accurate. Encourage them to think for themselves, to ask thoughtful questions, and to always fact check information that they receive online. Remind them to never share personal information online and to remember that systems like ChatGPT are not humans.
By establishing your family values, learning together, and having an ongoing conversation surrounding AI, you’ll be empowering your child or teen to make ethical decisions and to think critically about how technology can enrich their education experiences.
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