Onsite Seminar on the Impact of ChatGPT on Education at Shanghai Jiao Tong University

On August 2nd, GEC held the August Faculty Meeting on the theme of The Impact of ChatGPT on Education at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, which coincided with the 2023 Summer Research Program and marked the very first time for us to organize such an on-site event since the outbreak of COVID-19. Wendy Wang, Co-founder and Academic Director of GEC Academy, started the roundtable meeting by graciously introducing the keynote professors and welcoming the audience for attending this activity. We would like to thank everyone who joined in the meeting, especially thanks to our beloved professors who were invited to share their thought-provoking opinions on the topic.

A glimpse into the meeting at Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Distinguished Professors Sharing Thoughts on The Impact of ChatGPT on Education

Five professors from diverse disciplines were invited to share their insights on this subject. Through their distinct experiences, they engaged in a captivating exchange of ideas, offering thoughtful commentary that created a truly captivating intellectual experience for the audience.

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Professor Bradd Shore, Professor of Anthropology, Emory University

Professor Shore maintained that “Many technologies have freed human beings from certain kinds of tasks and allowed learners to go on to a higher level of learning. ChatGPT was no exception.” He said that people should not underestimate where ChatGPT could go by sharing with us several personal experiences and demonstrating that it was able to come up with creative ideas which we never would have dreamed it would do. Besides, ChatGPT presented the possibility of personalized and high-quality instruction by serving as a very powerful supplement to education. What was necessary to remember was that human beings were by nature adaptable creatures, and we should learn to incorporate new technologies in teaching.

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Professor Francis Steen, Professor of Communication Studies, UCLA

Professor Steen harbored the view that the development of technology had changed society dramatically and revolutionized education by overcoming geographical barriers. However, he suggested that “people should be skeptical to ChatGPT as it was trained on large language models and sometimes it could not be trusted”. Students were advised to focus on improving their own perception and skills they excel. 

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Professor Gina Antoniello, Professor of Sport Management, New York University

Professor Antoniello insisted that both educators and students should move with the times and realize the potential of ChatGPT as a long-term tool by incorporating it into teaching and learning rather than banning it. That being said, she encouraged students to evaluate ChatGPT critically and with caution and take advantage of their smart brains by giving us vivid examples and pointing out that it could not replace analytical and problem-solving skills.

Professor Pavlos Protopapas, Scientific Program Director

Professor Protopapas was intimately involved in the field of artificial intelligence. He kindly introduced the underlying logic, working mechanism and availability of ChatGPT to the audience. To his understanding, ChatGPT was more of a help than a hindrance to education because he thought that it had greatly increased efficiency and accuracy for doing academic research.

Professor Alberto Grünbaum, Professor Emeritus of Applied Mathematics, UC Berkeley

Professor Grünbaum gave recognition to artificial intelligence since it had enhanced effectiveness and efficiency in medical diagnosis. However, he pointed out that it was a real problem if people believed everything coming out from ChatGPT by showing his personal experience. He suggested that students should have more confidence in themselves, put more emphasis on human communication and view problems through a critical lens.

A glimpse into the Q&A session of the meeting

The round-table meeting concluded with an insightful Q&A session where both guest professors and students participated in the discussion and made comments. Questions related to working mechanism, ethical considerations, authenticity, and influence regarding ChatGPT were put forward, which provoked more new understanding of this tool. The whole session was conducted in a very lively and interactive manner, captivating everyone in the audience.

GEC is deeply honored to have our esteemed teaching faculty generously share their unique and invaluable insights. GEC’s unwavering commitment lies in harnessing the collective wisdom of distinguished scholars worldwide, alongside our accomplished faculty members, to illuminate cutting-edge technologies and diverse realms of the humanities. This collaboration seeks to ignite inspiration in students, propelling them toward excellence in their forthcoming academic and professional journeys.

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Please click HERE to access the recording.