Don't see AI as a threat

Using or abusing AI will affect your thinking. Photo: Cesarrg Blog .

A recent, eye-catching study from MIT suggests that overuse of ChatGPT may negatively impact critical thinking, especially in young people. Many university professors also complain that students are increasingly relying on AI to write essays, leading to a decline in the quality of their thinking.

However, AI is an irreversible reality. The application of artificial intelligence has become one of the most important skills in today's job market, along with critical and creative thinking. Instead of fearing that it will affect our ability to think and analyze, we need to master and exploit AI properly.

Fear of AI dependence

The MIT study divided participants into three groups, using ChatGPT, Google search, and no tools at all. The researchers asked them to write SAT-style essays and used electroencephalography (EEG) to measure brain activity.

The results showed that the group using ChatGPT had the lowest level of neural engagement. Specifically, their essays were judged to lack depth and independent thinking, and were largely plagiarized and repetitive.

Professor Tuan Nguyen, a lecturer at RMIT University, explained on his personal page that in the AI era, in exchange for instant convenience and speed, you have to pay the price of “cognitive debt”. “From writing an essay, solving a math problem to making a plan, depending on AI makes the brain lose the opportunity to practice,” the lecturer wrote.

Comparison of brain activity between AI users, and those who did not. Photo: Nataliya Kosmyna.

Responding in the comment section, user Kim Anh shared that she also felt an invisible loophole when using AI to create content and using the results for work and study. Moreover, she also felt guilty after each time using chatbots.

In other areas, AI abuse has become more complex. Thanh Hai, a computer science student at the University of Technology, said he found many of his classmates relying entirely on chatbots during group assignments. “Some languages like C or C++ are easy to program, so some students use ChatGPT to generate all the results,” Hai said.

For Minh Thu, an office worker at a media company, AI has become an indispensable element in her daily work. At one point, ChatGPT crashed in mid-June, she shared her panic on social media, then quickly used another tool as a temporary alternative.

AI is an irreversible reality

Since its global debut in 2022, almost everyone is using AI today. A report from Adecco across 23 countries found that 70% of working people are using chatbots at work. The number is even higher for students, who have grown up in the digital age.

Mr. Tran Hong Quang, Director of HQBC Management Consulting Company, who also lectures at a number of universities, advises not to see AI as a threat. Instead, it is a tool that can be exploited to help students learn more deeply and creatively, if used properly.

As a lecturer of Entrepreneurship, Mr. Quang allows students to use ChatGPT to look up market information and test the value framework. Then, he will ask them to ask critical questions such as why this model is suitable (or not), or if the input value changes, is the strategy still reasonable.

Mr. Quang encourages the proactive and controlled use of AI. Photo: NVCC.

“It is these questions that force students to step out of their comfort zone, not simply relying on AI to get answers but to understand, question and adjust the results given by AI,” Mr. Quang wrote on his personal page. AI has now become a support tool, not a machine that does the work for them.

When asked about her dependence on AI, Minh Thu said that due to the large amount of work she has to do each day, she is forced to use ChatGPT to optimize simple tasks. “I often use AI to suggest basic information and initial directions. Most of the time, I will adjust and develop from that content, not bring it all into the assignment,” she said.

Some experts criticized the MIT study, saying that it only applied to one area of student essay writing. Second, the number of participants was not too high (54 people), not reflecting the majority of users.

Technology is developing rapidly. If we fear that AI will affect critical thinking and reasoning, leading to prevention and not using it, it will go against the current development trend.

Mr. Tuan believes that technology can be a lever to help you think better. To avoid the risk of intellectual “bankruptcy,” use AI intentionally. Chatbots can become partners to initiate ideas, critics to challenge your arguments, or tutors to explain complex concepts.

Source: https://znews.vn/dung-xem-ai-nhu-moi-de-doa-post1564605.html