As more educational institutions and leaders invest in artificial intelligence, the list of concerns seems to increase. Here, we’ll discuss the various ethical considerations of AI in education and why it is important to overcome these challenges when adopting new technology.
With artificial intelligence becoming a part of the education sector, it has become crucial to tackle the ethical concerns and other challenges regarding the role of AI in this industry. According to a report by Microsoft, 47% of leaders in education use AI every day, while 68% of all educators have used it at least a couple of times. 59% of education leaders know about AI. 95% of schools have used AI at least once or twice.
In such instances, you cannot ignore the ethical considerations of AI in education and the impact these can have on students and teachers. As AI becomes more accessible and powerful, educators will have to find comprehensive solutions to tackle the challenges and promote the proper ways of adopting the technology in EdTech.
Let’s read more about the ethical concerns of AI in general and in the education sector and how you can overcome the challenges proactively.
What are the Ethical Considerations of AI in Education?
Even if educational institutions don’t allow students to use AI, there’s no guarantee that the kids will adhere to the policy. This means teachers spend more time trying to assess if the submitted assignment is AI-generated or written by the student.
A better solution would be to create a framework for adopting AI in schools and educating students about the pros and cons of relying on this technology. For that, schools should first understand these AI ethical considerations and find a feasible solution.
Data Bias and Misinformation
Artificial intelligence algorithms are trained on large amounts of data. The quality of this data determines the accuracy of the output. If the AI tool has been trained using outdated or biased data, the results it shows will also be biased. For example, many users have reported how ChatGPT and Meta AI (chatbot in WhatsApp) show religious bias and share incorrect information. When students use such tools as their source, they end up making the same mistakes instead of learning the right stuff.
Data Privacy
AI tools collect and store information in the name of training and improving the algorithm. This means the details about teachers and students are stored by various service providers and vendors. This can lead to concerns about data privacy. What if it is used for commercial or surveillance purposes? Similarly, what if the tool used by students is breaching data privacy regulations by using others’ data? This concern can be handled by choosing vendors and service providers only after reading the data privacy statements carefully.
Copyrights and IP
Other important ethical considerations in education are the ownership of intellectual property and copyrights for the content created using AI tools. Even generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Bing, etc., do not create new content. They rewrite existing content by combining data from multiple sources. So, who owns the copyright? Moreover, many artists and authors have been sharing how their works are being used to train algorithms without their consent. Students could be unknowingly claiming rights to content they don’t own.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is one of the biggest ethical challenges in education. By using AI tools for assignments and projects, it is likely that students plagiarize others’ work and claim credit for it. A report created by a generative AI model may have plagiarized existing data. When a student submits the same report without analyzing, correcting, or even reading it, they would be guilty of the same. Plagiarism checkers are not always accurate, just like AI detection tools. Educational institutions should create awareness to encourage students to use ethical means.
Transparency
Most of the time, no one knows how an AI algorithm has been trained or what datasets were used. You don’t know how the tool processes the input prompt to provide an output. The entire model lacks transparency, which reduces its accountability. Without a definite source, how can one claim if the content is authentic or not? Students and teachers could be relying on fabricated data instead of truth. However, if the user already has verified content, they can simply convert it into a test paper by using an online tool like PrepAI.
Fairness and Inclusivity
Inclusivity has since been an issue in many schools and colleges. It continues to be one of the ethical considerations of AI in education due to data and human bias. Though human bias is reduced by automating the selection process, data bias still exists. This naturally compromises fairness, especially when using artificial intelligence during the admission process. This risk can be minimized by training the algorithms with high-quality and unbiased data.
What are the Challenges of AI in Education?
Using AI in higher education is not without some challenges. A few concerns educators should handle are as follows:
Misuse and Overreliance of Technology
A common problem schools face is the misuse of technology even if it is only by a few people. Be it cheating, plagiarizing, or avoiding hard work, AI should not turn a student into a lazy person. Depending on technology for everything may also reduce memory power and concentration abilities.
Compromising Learning
Learning is an integral part of education. But what happens when students decide to take the easy way out? Where to draw the line when using AI in education? For example, quiz generator tools save time and create tests in a few minutes. However, if students use technology to answer the questions instead of relying on their knowledge, they won’t be learning anything.
Lack of Critical Thinking
When generative AI seems to do all the hard work, students often don’t bother to analyze the results. This slowly diminishes their critical thinking abilities. Schools and teachers should make students read and analyze AI content to understand why they cannot let a machine do all the thinking. The same happens to creativity as well.
Extra Pressure on Educators
No one can stop students from using AI. When schools reinforce rules without creating proper awareness about the pitfalls of technology, the pressure will be on teachers to balance both sides. Instead of reducing the workload, they will suffer from additional work stress and feel less productive.
Concerns About Emotional Well-Being
Socio-emotional skills are necessary for human development. These can be compromised by over-dependence on AI and technology. It could lead to emotional and psychological issues in students and teachers. Artificial intelligence should be a tool to help educators and not stifle them.
What are the Ethical Considerations in Artificial Intelligence?
Despite the advancement in technology, ethical considerations in AI continue to worry many people. A few common concerns to consider are listed below:
- Privacy and Safety
- Transparency and Fairness
- Human oversight
- Trustworthiness and accountability
- Responsibility and explainability
What are the Ethical Issues of AI in 2024?
AI ethical concerns that are a huge focus in 2024 are as follows:
Misuse of personal information by tech giants
Thanks to technology, our personal information is freely available on the internet and is stored by many websites, social media platforms, eCommerce marketplaces, streaming service providers, etc. This data is used to offer personalized services and improve customer experience. However, it can be easily misused if the platform sells the data to another company. Or, it could use personal information to train AI models without users’ consent. Additionally, users would end up in risky situations as they have no idea how a platform uses their data.
Deep fakes, identity theft, and misinformation
Deep fake is an advanced AI technology that allows users to create fake pictures and videos of real people. This leads to identity theft and various other complications for the person. For example, criminals create deep fake videos of sexual abuse of minors. There have been deep fake videos of politicians to spread misinformation and create communal tension. While deep fake is helpful in medical fields, its usage has to be regulated to prevent criminals from committing more crimes.
Propaganda, bias, and fabricated news with malicious intent
As the global reports show, AI can be used to create fake news articles, tweets, pictures, and posts, making it hard for people to know what truth is and what’s not. This gives political parties (and their opponents) a chance to confuse the voters. Whether it is the fake videos of politicians or the allegedly missing information about the recent assassination attempt on Trump, the unethical use of AI is dangerous for society.
No accountability for the data used or the data generated
Most platforms have partnerships and agreements with third-party providers, which means user data stored by the platform can also be accessed by others. In such instances, how does a person know where their data is and who uses it for what purpose? There is no real accountability or transparency about what happens to personal information once it is provided to a company.
What is the Future of AI in the Education System?
Despite the ethical concerns and challenges regarding the use of AI in education, we will see an increase in the adoption of this technology across various institutions.
Personalized learning modules based on students’ abilities and preferences
Every student is different and has their own way of learning. Traditional teaching modules may not be helpful when a student needs extra attention or more time to understand a topic. AI-based learning platforms allow students to pace their lessons, repeat certain sessions, and plan their progress comfortably.
Investing in AI-based tools like PrepAI test maker for teachers
Teachers already have a lot to do apart from taking classes. They need to create the curriculum, prepare lesson plans, make notes for each class, correct student’s homework and projects, conduct tests, evaluate the test papers, give feedback, and so on. Luckily, tools like PrepAI allow teachers to automate question generation and evaluation tasks. This saves time and energy.
AR/ VR in classrooms to provide virtual experience for students
Augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/ VR) applications can be used in the classrooms to enhance the learning experience for students. Instead of verbally describing a place or a concept, teachers can use technology to create a virtual image of it and allow students to interact with it. This visual presentation helps students retain the knowledge.
Identify gaps in learning to help students improve their skills
Learning and question generator platforms offer data-driven analytics that helps teachers, educators, and trainers identify weak areas and enable students to strengthen their learning abilities. Analytics can also be used for self-assessments by students so that they have a clear idea of how to plan their study programs.
Online testing and grading platforms for better accessibility and immediate feedback
Tests don’t have to be conducted in the classrooms where the students are physically present. With tools like PrepAI, teachers can switch over to online tests that make it easier for more students to participate. Additionally, most test generation tools also have automated grading capabilities. This enables teachers to share the results instantly with the students and provide feedback for improvement.
What Benefits Would True AI Have for the Future of Education?
Ideally, AI would immensely benefit the education industry by providing the right kind of support to students, teachers, and administrators. For example, teachers can use automated tools like PrepAI question generators from text for conducting exams and grading them in real-time. Similarly, eLearning platforms can be used to customize the lessons based on each student’s abilities. Students can become confident and learn how to use technology without becoming victims of its downsides.
Conclusion
Instead of ignoring the ethical considerations of AI in education, you should actively work on creating awareness about the pros and cons of using technology. This will empower teachers and students to be more responsible when using AI tools for various purposes.
Additionally, you can partner with AI service provider companies to understand how to overcome these challenges and maximize the benefits of investing in artificial intelligence. AI is here to stay and the best way to move on is to embrace it correctly.
