Generative AI and its risks

Over-Reliance on Generative AI

While generative AI tools offer significant potential, there are real risks associated with their excessive use, especially for students. It’s crucial for anyone harnessing these tools to be mindful of these risks.

Erosion of Critical Thinking

Over-reliance on generative AI can weaken a person’s ability to analyze complex situations, develop independent reasoning, and solve problems. Continuously asking AI to find solutions without engaging in thoughtful problem-solving leads to a decline in critical thinking skills over time. AI should not replace human reasoning.

Misinterpretations and Hallucinations

AI tools are far from flawless. They can misinterpret a user’s query, or users may misinterpret the AI's response. Worse still, AI systems can sometimes produce “hallucinations”—providing factually incorrect or nonsensical answers. Although these errors are becoming less frequent, AI should never be a substitute for human understanding and judgment.

Loss of Imagination and Creativity

Generative AIs are trained on vast datasets, enabling them to generate ideas, concepts, and media that may appear more original than what users could produce on their own. However, it’s vital to remember that AI relies on human input and data. If AI were to fully replace human creativity, the very essence of creativity could be lost.

Impact on Effort and Perseverance

Effort and perseverance are crucial for developing motivation and satisfaction with one’s achievements. For students, the inability to learn from challenges through effort and persistence can stunt their growth as learners and hinder their professional development.

Additional Risks

Other risks include dependency on technology in learning, compromising personal or sensitive data, placing blind trust in AI, reduced social interaction skills, and many more.

Reasonable Use

This isn’t the first time technology has affected skill development. For example, calculators have diminished mental arithmetic skills, and grammar and spell-checkers have impacted written expression. Social media algorithms create echo chambers, limiting exposure to opposing views and intensifying polarization.

However, the risks posed by generative AI may be even more significant. The greatest danger of AI’s ability to answer nearly any question is that it may prevent students from developing the essential skills of learning, thinking, and reasoning for themselves.

The best way to mitigate these risks is through education. Students need to be made aware of the potential dangers, as this course aims to do. Banning AI use in universities would be a mistake—students will encounter these tools in their professional lives, so it's essential they become familiar with them. However, it would be equally irresponsible to encourage AI use without first educating students about the associated risks.

Hands-On Practice

Without using a generative AI tool, reflect on how the misuse of AI tools could be harmful to students. Write a brief text (100-150 words) on this topic. Then, submit it to a generative AI tool (such as ChatGPT), engage with the tool to identify three strategies for preventing AI misuse, summarize these strategies in a document, and upload the PDF in the activity below.