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Ten Facts About ChatGPT
2023/01/11

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This is quite a nice summary from Contact North of what we've learned about chatGPT over the last month or so. The 'ten facts' in the article are, from my perspective, undeniably facts, which means we don't have the hyperbole of claims that chatGPT will replace everything or that it shouldn't be used for anything. Some of the items describe what the program does, some of them describe some of the reaction to it, and one - arguably the most speculative - describes what can be done to prevent academic misconduct.

Web: [Direct Link] [This Post]

Australian schools "flying blind" on use of ChatGPT and other learning technology
Caitlin Cassidy, The Guardian, 2023/01/11

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It's hard to disagree with the assessment that Australian universities are "flying blind" when we read reports that said they were returning to pen-and-paper exams due to the threat of plagiarism using emerging technology. That won't stop the cheaters, of course. The gist of the article is that "outdated policy is hindering use of edtech that can be used to improve learning outcomes, particularly for disadvantaged students," according to Leslie Loble, industry professor at the University of Technology, Sydney.

Web: [Direct Link] [This Post]

Controversy erupts over non-consensual AI mental health experiment
Benj Edwards, Ars Technica, 2023/01/11

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"Koko let 4,000 people get therapeutic help from GPT-3 without telling them first." People will blame this on GPT-3 but the real culprit is some organization that thought it was OK to experiment on humans without a proper ethical review. It gets worse the deep you get: "a Koko bot that asks several multiple-choice questions (e.g., "What's the darkest thought you have about this?"). It then shares a person's concerns - written as a few sentences of text - anonymously with someone else on the server who can reply anonymously with a short message of their own." And, "Morris said that the experiment "would be exempt" from informed consent requirements because he did not plan to publish the results." Via Doug Levin.See also: New Scientist.

Web: [Direct Link] [This Post]

What Are The Kids Up To?
Tim Stahmer, Assorted Stuff, 2023/01/11

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Tim Stahmer points to "two interesting stories about some in the 'younger generations' who are pulling back on their use of high tech in favor of older ways of doing thing." The stories are in the New York Times and therefore behind a paywall. Just as well. I can't imagine these stories reflect what young people are actually doing. As Stahmer says, "How many of these kids will continue embracing low tech after they graduate and move into new peer groups?" I would say close to none.

Web: [Direct Link] [This Post]

Second IC :)
Sam Zeloof, 2023/01/11

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This student describes the process of making homemade silicon chips in his parents' garage. "Now we know that it's possible to make really good transistors with impure chemicals, no cleanroom, and homemade equipment... A major theme of this DIY silicon process is to circumvent expensive, difficult, or dangerous steps." When I was a kid my parents' garage contained a car (and a snowblower) and was a shed. Still, this is a great glimpse at what high school projects of the future could look like. Via Ars Technica and Wesley Fryer.

Web: [Direct Link] [This Post]

We publish six to eight or so short posts every weekday linking to the best, most interesting and most important pieces of content in the field. Read more about what we cover. We also list papers and articles by Stephen Downes and his presentations from around the world.

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