A discussion of the relationship between AI and teens in African classrooms, including challenges, potential benefits and tips for educators, from tech educator, Confidence Osein.
Have you ever observed that, when talking to someone you lack full trust in and can’t discard because they will be around for a long time (unless something significant occurs!), you listen to them wearing a thinking cap to see through their lies, errors and deceptions to avoid being misled? Well, this mirrors our interactions with technology and is gradually becoming the reality in our relationships with artificial intelligence.
I recently had this conversation about ChatGPT with some students:
Teens: “Ma’am, learning is becoming easy – we found something, o!”
Me: “Oh wow! What did you find?”
Teens: “Ma’am, as in eh, it’s this thing called ChatGPT. Its Mad oo!” *
Me: “Really?” (Feigning not to have used ChatGPT.)
Teens: “Yes ma’am. Ask it anything on any subject and it gives you the correct answer, straight up.”
Me: “You’re kidding me right? How does this thing get its answers?”
Teens: “Trust us ma’am, this ChatGPT knows everything. E no dey fall person hand!” *
*Nigerian slang: ‘As in eh’ – an exclamation used when surprised or frustrated. In this context it means surprised. ‘Mad oo’ – describing when something is really cool. Also an expression of surprise, ‘E no dey fall person hand’ – means it doesn’t disappoint.
As these kids eagerly showed me their latest discovery of an all-knowing AI chatbot, I pulled up my device, displaying past interactions challenging ChatGPT’s accuracy. Demonstrating how I questioned its intelligence and capability of misleading, as well as its consistent politeness when you tell it that it has outputs errors. I went ahead to demonstrate how, after much taunting, I made it concede (incorrectly) that ‘1+1 = 1.’
Since the chatbot to these teens was all-knowing, I guided them to ask it region-specific questions, watching the expressions on their faces as we received the incorrect response to our question. They were taken aback by the fact that this supposed infallible bot wasn’t flawless. Taking advantage of this moment, I questioned if they’d still rely on ChatGPT as the basis for their studies and still believed it was 100% accurate. After minutes of thinking and debating, as expected, they were not ready to give up ChatGPT for their learning. Ranging from denial – to some uncertainty – to firm trust. They responded saying, “Ma’am apart from God, this is one thing that never lies.” This revelation left me reflecting on the immense faith these kids had in technology
The state of technology in Africa
Reports have it that Africa accounts for the rising growth of the e-learning market sparked by the liberalization of smartphones and other digital technologies in the region, along with the rising digitalization in the education sector.1 Despite this progress, Africa is still playing catch-up with technology. Young African learners still have considerable ground to cover when it comes to EdTech tools and their integration into classrooms. While some students have embraced technology with little to no knowledge of its use and impact on their education, many still lack access to technology and are clueless as to what these tools are, or how they can be used to support their learning needs.
Statistics reveal a staggering reality: ‘over 60% of Nigerian students struggle to adjust to technology at the moment due to lack’ (acting Head of Computer Science at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria). Those who can, face hurdles like fluctuating network and data availability. Also, according to new search from Google, Nigeria’s interest in AI has grown by 310 percent in the last year and by 1660 percent in the last five years. 2
But we still have Nigerians asking about AI. What it is, how it works, when it started, where it is used, what can it do, how they can use it, is it dangerous and will it take their jobs? While these are prevalent questions amongst adults, teens are already sampling AI tools and using it in ways that removes the need for them to be critical and logical thinkers. This calls for urgency to bring necessary training and development opportunities for teachers and students to harness AI tools effectively and responsibly. Students and teachers still struggle with infrastructure – issues with network connections, instances where they switch from network to network while learning. Clearly, this shows we’re at a crossroads (simultaneously prepared and unprepared). Though interest in AI is hyped, African classrooms are unprepared and fall short on infrastructure.
ChatGPT and AI systems in African classrooms: a good or bad idea?
Chatbots and all other artificial intelligence systems have come to stay. Just like we illustrated earlier that even when knowing someone is not totally truthful, you can’t help but listen to them, the same goes for ChatGPT and its use by students.
Teachers can’t afford to stand on the sidelines, calling for a ban on ChatGPT or the use of intelligent systems in the classroom. This would adversely affect African youth’s education today and in the future, given that many still struggle to understand new and emerging technologies despite their proliferation.
As the technology landscape keeps evolving, there’s need to prepare young learners for a tech-filled future of learning and work. Rather than disallowing AI tools in classrooms, African classrooms should foster positive mindsets about AI among teachers and students, emphasizing its benefits and potential. This would help students remain competitive on a global scale in future workspaces.
It’s “ChatGPT: Where Deception Meets Certainty”
Conversation with the young students spotlighted the worrying trend among African teens wrongly using chatbots and AI systems for learning: convincing themselves that these tools, with human-like intelligence, are all-knowing. This leads to the wrongful adoption of AI tools for learning without adequate knowledge, bypassing the cultivation of critical learning skills, and consequently, gravitating towards seeking answers from AI systems rather than engaging in analytical thinking.
Educating students about AI systems – what they are, and what they are capable and incapable of doing – is crucial. Discussions about new technologies in classrooms should be encouraged to help them understand how it works, how it generates human-like conversations, and how it impacts learning. Such conversations spark thoughts and deliberations about when and how to use ChatGPT for studying, increasing students’ critical thinking skills. As technology is increasingly integrated with humanity, the goal should be to raise thoughtful digital citizens who can wrestle with the ethical questions at the intersection of technology and humanity.
Simple approaches to encouraging young people to use AI-powered systems such as ChatGPT for learning, are to teach them to:
- Evaluate query outputs to ensure it’s exactly what is expected.
- Vet for possible errors.
- Check and verify details of the output including figures, data, quotes etc.
- Rephrase inputs until the bot understands the question(s).
- Use AI as a learning assistant and not a replacement for the overall learning style, need or tone.
Be the boss! While AI chatbots are helpful learning tools, it is worthy to note they’re not humans or friends and aren’t trustworthy. ChatGPT mimics human speech from data scraped off the internet.
AI can inform but not learn for you
While AI serves as an informational tool, the emphasis that it can be inaccurate and misleading should be reiterated through continuous use to further underline that genuine knowledge comes from active learning, and that AI doesn’t learn for us.
Like all young individuals across the globe, African teenagers are curious, and this should be encouraged in a way that fosters a bedrock for growth and discovery. It’s important to nurture their interest in educating themselves about the latest innovations and emerging technologies.
The statement “ChatGPT can make mistakes. Consider checking important information,” at the bottom of the query and response interface of ChatGPT summarises the relationship students need to develop with AI and other technology tools. Students should heed this disclaimer – where it acknowledges its limitations which subtly states “Hey, be vigilant! I’m not that intelligent. Believe me at your own risk, Do your own research (DYOR)!”
These systems may akin to that inseparable friend, assume the role of a confidant and an omniscient entity. However, they’re not as intelligent as perceived. Students therefore need to approach AI systems cautiously, remaining vigilant for possible errors or lies while using them as learning tools.
Author
Confidence is a digital citizenship and cyber safety tech educator, passionate about digital safety and wellbeing. Founder of ‘Internet Safe Kids Africa’, a non-profit empowering digitally-connected youths. She’s acknowledged as a 'DigCit Global Impactor' by Digital Citizenship Institute USA and contributed to the XRSI-Child Safety Initiative's ‘Guardians and Shield Framework’.
