Students will be allowed to use artificial intelligence to help with their homework as Australia’s largest public-school system rolls out its own generative AI chatbot.
NSW public school students from year five and onwards will have free access to the Department of Education’s app NSWEduChat from the start of term four.
Unlike similar platforms such as ChatGPT, the education department’s app does not give full or direct answers.
Instead, it attempts to foster critical thinking skills by encouraging students to ask guided questions and reason on their answers, Acting NSW Education Minister Courtney Houssos said.
“The development of this safe, curriculum-aligned tool shows the power of our public education system to deliver world-leading innovation to classrooms across NSW,” she said.
A trial of the app at 50 schools showed students most often used it for feedback on writing, brainstorming, the creation of study materials like quizzes, planning and structuring written responses, and as a virtual assistant.
AI chatbots were initially met with resistance.
Many public school systems banned ChatGPT and similar apps during the first major wave of AI excitement.
But in 2023, education ministers from every Australian jurisdiction adopted a framework for the use of generative AI in schools, opening the door for ChatGPT’s entry to the classroom.
However, ChatGPT has since come under scrutiny over privacy and content concerns.
Its parent company Open AI is being sued by the family of a 16-year-old over allegations the chatbot encouraged him to die by suicide.
Houssos said NSWEduChat offered a safe environment for learners as it filtered content and secures their data.
A separate version of the app has already been made available to teachers to help alleviate their workload.
Source: AAP
