Having only graduated six months ago and, admittedly, not exactly being a fountain of wisdom, I don’t claim to have much advice for today’s students. But I make up for what I lack in post-university life experience with strong opinions. Chief among them is this: students -especially those in the Humanities and Arts – should make a concerted effort to ditch services like ChatGPT entirely.
Though it might sound unthinkable to some, it’s a belief I genuinely stand by – just ditch it. Install some dodgy browser extension that atomically blocks all traces of Automated Intelligence. Download an app that tracks how long you can go without asking a bot to interpret your Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding essay question. Buy some paper and a pen and throw your laptop in the Clyde. Genuinely, do whatever it takes to detach yourself from any kind of system that does your thinking for you.
Where does my disdain for AI come from, I hear you ask? Before I make my case against it, I must note that AI does have its uses. Google’s suggested search system, for example, long predates the likes of ChatGPT, making life easier and speeding up your a few milliseconds at a time whenever you look something up.
Perhaps in STEM, where problem-solving often revolves around equations and coding, getting assistance with a tough calculation can let you focus on the innovative parts of your work.
Moreover, as time passes, the quality of services on offer to students and the wider public is bound to improve. In that regard, it is understandable that one may wish to keep up to date with the latest AI technology, in advance of it becoming even more prevalent across the board.
My main issue with ChatGPT isn’t the quality of the service or even the alarming environmental toll of massive AI tech operations—where gallons of water are burned up cooling overheated servers so we can churn out AI mock-ups of Homer Simpson belting out Born Slippy. The real concern, in my view, is the risk students face of cutting corners and selling themselves short by the time they graduate.
I say this because I’ve been tempted to take similar digital shortcuts myself. It’s all too easy to downplay it, convincing yourself you’re just using ChatGPT for mere inspiration. ‘I’m just trying to get a sense of the essay’s tone’ you tell yourself—when deep down, you know you’re hoping the AI will do the heavy lifting for you.
While I fully appreciate that this is the least cool statement I’ll ever make – I’m happy to sound like a sweat on this one, provided at least one student can take something from my pleading. I fully appreciate that it is easy for me to make the anti-GPT argument, given that I’m currently sitting on a bus to a national park in Thailand, 6000 miles away from campus – where my days of scrambling to salvage essays and literature reviews have come to an end. But I do possess the benefit of hindsight, and one of the most pertinent reflections I have made in the months since I graduated is that being a student is quite good.
Right now, the stress might feel overwhelming, but someday, whether you’re sitting in an office or working shifts at your local supermarket, you’ll look back and realize what a privilege it was to spend four or more years of your life dedicated to learning. For me, as unexciting as it may sound, one of the most rewarding parts of being a student was the simple act of soaking up knowledge.
Don’t let a pseudo-assistant take that away from you! The skills and knowledge you gain from your course are infinitely more valuable in your hands than in the hands of an AI. At this pivotal moment, as AI edges closer to reshaping every aspect of our lives, take back some control—let your learning serve you, not a machine.
Music Editor 2022-23
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