UK Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle has said children should be able to use ChatGPT to help with their homework. During an interview on BBCMr. Kyle was asked if it was “okay for kids to use ChatGPT to do their homework?” as Britain tries to build a framework for the future of artificial intelligence (AI).
He responded: “Actually supervised and used appropriately, yes, because ChatGPT and the AI technology that uses language is already used across the economy.”
“I am at an age where I remember this conversation about calculators. We need to ensure that children and young people learn how to use this technology and integrate it into their learning development,” he added when pressed whether this was the right approach. .
ChatGPT is an online AI-powered large language model (LLM) that allows users to have human-like conversations and much more with a chatbot. The rise of AI chatbots in recent years has raised questions about the learning structure in schools and colleges, where more and more students simply rely on such programs to do homework and pass exams.
However, according to Mr Kyle, using ChatGPT could ‘turbocharge’ children’s minds.
“There are kids who are real outliers. Using ChatGPT and other AI help can really give a boost [them] and give them a challenge that they don’t get elsewhere.”
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AI action plan
The British government led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer is launching its AI action plan this week. Starmer’s government has been largely optimistic about the technology, with ministers claiming that if AI is “fully embraced” it could save the economy £47 billion every year. If the private sector also invests £14 billion in this field, it could create around 13,000 jobs.
While the full details of the AI plans are not yet clear, beyond talk of a ‘sovereign AI team’, it is already clear that the Labor Party is taking a position radically different from its Conservative predecessors.
According to Mr Kyle, the Labor government will make a “course correction” on AI safety after former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak paid an excessive amount of attention, scaring the public in the process.