A controversial chat on ChatGPT Write a Staff Editorial for the Epic on ChatGPT...

As the popularity of artificial intelligence chatbots has risen, so too have concerns surrounding the ethics and risks of AI’s presence in educational environments. Created by OpenAI, an artificial intelligence research nonprofit, ChatGPT is an AI chatbot capable of generating humanlike text, working computer code and more in a wide range of styles and lengths. The possibilities are seemingly endless — as are the ethical concerns that have plagued the platform since its launch in November 2022. For classrooms in particular, ChatGPT’s implications require both students and teachers to learn to utilize it as an educational tool, working with and not against the technology.

The main concern has been the potential for academic dishonesty as programs like ChatGPT become increasingly popular. With a simple interface and responses capable of slipping past plagiarism checkers, ChatGPT is not the first AI tool to help students seek shortcuts, but is currently one of the most sophisticated and accessible.

“As we find that plagiarism tools get better at detection, we will be able to integrate ChatGPT in classrooms,” FUHSD Coordinator of Educational Technology Menko Johnson said. “But currently, we just can't overlook the elephant in the room.”

With student dishonesty in the face of academic pressure being an ever-present issue, some educators have reevaluated their teaching methods. For instance, in lieu of at-home essays, teachers are considering more in-class timed writings or varying prompts. Similarly, teachers have adjusted the weight of assignments and tests in gradebooks to reflect the risks of asynchronous work, hoping to dissuade students from taking shortcuts with ChatGPT.

“There is such a thing as being a bad test taker, and those students are really going to suffer as some teachers may elect to raise the weight of their test category over time,” history teacher Luca Signore said. “Even the people who aren’t using ChatGPT to cheat

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will have to deal with that consequence.”

Programs designed specifically for detecting the usage of AI chatbots have advanced alongside their counterparts as well, worked on not only by Silicon Valley giants such as Microsoft and Google, but also by independent developers. One such example is GPTZero, a software created by Princeton University senior Edward Tian. While not flawless, it is currently one of the most popular and effective means of detecting ChatGPT. Turnitin has also been working on integrating an AI detection system into its platform. In this cycle of advancement, the landscape of AI has fallen into an arms race where neither chatbots nor detectors hold the advantage for long.

Across the nation, talks of outright bans of ChatGPT in schools have arisen but have seen little success. Banning use of AI chatbots entirely is not the answer — not if larger issues are to be tackled.

“I think blocking these sites altogether would miss the point,” English teacher Erin Levin said. “Why would I use my mental energy on trying to catch that on the backend? I would rather have that conversation on the frontend with students.”

With the emergence of resources like ChatGPT, it is up to students to consider their own integrity and priorities regarding schoolwork. Educators can adjust their own methods, but students are responsible for policing themselves. However, while it is important to warn students of the risks of setting themselves up for failure by using ChatGPT as a crutch, its potential uses as a constructive educational tool should also be considered.

“As we continue to learn how to navigate this new technology, we’ll find ways to make sure it’s helping and not hurting students in their learning process,” English teacher Anna Kirsh said. “But at the end of the day, it’s just a tool, and you need to teach how to use any tool correctly.”

ChatGPT can be versatile and valuable in the classroom. Many believe it will become the new goto search engine, with personalized responses and explanations to specific prompts and summaries of complex topics. It may even have applications for some teachers, assisting with creating questions or discussion points. True to its name, ChatGPT can serve as a conversant for students improving their literacy in foreign languages or as a sparring partner for practicing debaters.

“There is a kind of an obsession with originality amongst some English teachers, which is unrealistic, both practically and philosophically,” English teacher David Clarke said. “What I'm more interested in is how students put together the information they have and higher order synthetic thinking.”

Even considering all its positive applications, ChatGPT is far from flawless. The software lacks the sophistication necessary to detect biases or misinformation in the data it pulls from the web, sometimes resulting in misleading or factually inaccurate responses — a downfall shared by any other online resource. Its replies to certain prompts also tend to become repetitive or generic.

“The further you get into school, the more intricate and detailed the work is, so the less ChatGPT can help out,” Vazirani said. “There are so many limitations.”

While helpful as a simple tool, ChatGPT’s replies are a bland collage of ideas, an algorithm's imitation of eloquence devoid of the passion and detail that characterizes human-produced work. At the end of the day, that is what ChatGPT should be: a tool, not a substitute for human creativity.

“As a teacher, I care very much about the emotional authenticity and the integrity of something you’re writing,” Levin said. “I'm excited about the opportunity that ChatGPT presents to revolutionize how teachers think about teaching, but more importantly, how students have to buy into what they’re doing.” the Epic voted 40-0 in favor of this stance.

BY AMISHI CHANDRA

The popular saying that money can’t buy everything isn’t always true. Wealthy individuals have found a loophole in the rule, gaining advantages such as nepotism in employment and legacies in college admissions. Unknowingly, the world has built a system giving those with more wealth an unfair advantage. The wealthy should acknowledge their advantages instead of acting like they are self-made.

According to the National Broadcasting Company, the Bay Area is the eighth most expensive city to live in the U.S., surrounded by houses overvalued and inflated by millions of dollars. For much of the population, money is not scarce. In the last decade, the overall trend of wealth has increased, leading to the title of a “New Gilded Age” with wealth accumulation in the top 1%, surpassing the levels from the 1890s for the first time.In the Bay Area, with an increasing number of tech companies and innovations blooming, the average person’s income has increased, leading to an increase in the percentage of privileged people.

“Wealth and money has definitely increased from the 1920s to now, and as far as I can predict, it’s going to keep increasing,” De Anza Microeconomics Professor Judith West said. “This happens for a number of reasons including inflation and more opportunities for high income jobs.”

The relationship between wealth and privilege allows people with more money to obtain unfair advantages in education and employment. Many students living in the Bay Area benefit from educational privilege because of the economic landscape. At Lynbrook, students are offered a diverse range of clubs which participate in costly competitions, and have opportunities which often are not offered in schools with less funding.

Legacy admissions are also a common advantage of those with financial privilege. Students become a legacy with better chances of admission when someone in their family goes to a top college, which often requires high tuition. According to an NPR article, compared to non-legacy students, students with legacy have five times higher chance of acquiring admission at their prestigious university of choice. Many people criticize affirmative action for supposedly unfairly lifting students from lower socioeconomic classes and giving them the better opportunity to go to college.

Yet, the same people that criticize Affirmative Action, do not have a problem with legacy admissions which can be described as affirmative action for the rich.

“I don’t think legacy admissions are fair, especially since it helps people who have more money and the predominantly white population,” senior Akul Murthy said. “The new waves of immigrants and first generation Americans are at a disadvantage.”

Nepotism in employment is another advantage of being wealthy. With wealthy parents, people do not need to work as hard to get where they need to be. In Hollywood, many actors and models are considered “nepo-babies,” with parents who earned their spot and pulled their children up alongside them. Since the children are privileged, they get the first pick of roles or jobs even if they are not very skilled. Hailey Bieber and Lily-Rose Depp are some of the most notable examples making headlines today. Today, even the justice system has tipped its scales in favor of the wealthy. The courts are more lenient, making them pay less in comparison to those who are not as advantaged.

“We can’t deny the fact that some lower income communities don’t have access to more expensive lawyers and don’t get seen fairly in front of a jury,” Murthy said.

Jordan Belfort, the wolf of wall street, spent a mere 22 months in jail after scamming more than 1,500 individual investors out of $200 million. He was initially sentenced to four years, but his sentence was reduced after making a plea deal with the FBI. The penalty for first-time drug possession offenses can range between 2-20 years and a hefty fine, depending on the state. The most ironic part is that Belfort was a notorious drug user himself. He is one of many examples of the rich getting lesser jail time because they can bargain financial deals.

Often, the government is funded with donations from the wealthy classes; in return, the courts can be more lenient toward these families. The government has also bestowed many gifts on wealthy individuals and corporations. For years, businesses have tried to get Congress and state legislatures to enact sharp limits on class-action lawsuits. In a series of rulings, including a high-profile one against WalMart in 2011, it has become more difficult for workers and consumers to band together in class action lawsuits, which are often the only way for working-class people to get justice.

“In terms of the justice system, the judges in the Supreme Court have many times favored people who are advantaged,” West said. “But, in the future I believe that people who are wealthy will get less privilege because of culture now and people being called out for their actions.”

Although people who enjoy wealth and privilege are leading the world, they need to be more appreciative of the advantages that come with being in the top one percent by recognizing the fact that they are privileged.

BY CATHERINE ZHOU// IN MY OPINION

Ipause at the hallway intersection, hands tightly gripping the wheelchair handlebars, eyes darting between two corridors. I rack my brain, trying to recall the routes I had spent weeks memorizing. Is cardiology in the left wing? Should I turn left? Right?

When I first started working as a patient transport volunteer in a veterans hospital, intersections were my worst enemy. I still remember my disastrous first solo transport assignment, where I accidentally ended up at the intensive care unit instead of the outpatient rooms and had to rely on my patient to guide me to the correct location.

Traumatized by this experience, I spent several shifts shadowing the other transport employees. I watched them confidently make all the correct turns, swiftly maneuver wheelchairs into elevators and navigate around obstacles. Most of all, I was in awe of their ability to connect with the patients and help them feel comfortable. Each time I tried to talk to my patients, I could barely seem to get out a nervous, “How are you doing today?”

With each shift, I took on more assignments and eventually got to know the hospital like the back of my hand. Along the way, I realized that my lack of trust in myself was holding me back. I second-guessed my instincts, leading to more mistakes and a vicious cycle of self-doubt and fear. In order for my patients to trust me, I needed to show them I trusted myself. As I began to chat with my patients to ease my nerves, initially only feigning confidence, I realized that the patients were more than willing to open up to me.

One day, I was transporting a patient named Charles, a World War II veteran wearing a cap covered in colorful pins and patches. As he shared memories of his time as a sniper and playing basketball during the war, I honored his bravery and sacrifice and laughed at his stories, delighted that he loved basketball just as much as I did. While I led him and his wife through the twists and turns inside the hospital, we eased into a conversation about our favorite teams, which led to Charles reminiscing about his hometown and his sons.

After I helped Charles into his car, his wife thanked me outside of the car and said she’d never heard Charles talk so much about his sons. “It has been so difficult,” she said, eyes full of tears. “Raising them all by myself, without him.”

As I comforted her, I realized the true value of my role as a patient transporter — to provide compassion and alleviate pain for patients and their families as we navigate through the hospital together. Yet, I was so focused on my own struggles I’d forgotten the very reason I was here. I not only have the responsibility to do my job, but also, more importantly, to take care of my patients. By simply talking with them, I can help them feel at least slightly happier, to distract them from the bleakness of the hospital, to illuminate our shared humanity. Perhaps outside the walls of the hospital, I’d also been so focused on successfully achieving my lofty goals that I’d forgotten to cherish the people around me, who supported me as unconditionally as Charles’ wife supported him.

Navigating the winding paths of the hospital corridors, I began to slow down and spend time listening to my patients’ stories, concerns and corny jokes as we headed toward their destinations. My time at the hospital taught me to trust myself and enjoy the journey. However, most importantly, I’m reminded that I’m never alone, and I hope I can help my patients feel the same way.