For anyone waiting on the AI apocalypse, don’t hold your breath. Artificial intelligence isn’t the evil machine we need to worry about. The real evil is how we abuse AI.

AI programs have received backlash due to students passing off the AI’s work as their own. It’s easy to say that the problem with AI would be fixed by not using it, but that shouldn’t be the case. Instead, AI needs to be improved to prevent these issues. 

ChatGPT is an artificial chatbot that converses with users to create writings. Users give it a prompt or directions, and the AI writes a response. This AI has been used to fix coding errors, create outlines and write summaries about real and fictional events. The developers of ChatGPT, OpenAI, say their goal is to ensure humanity benefits from AI.

The issue is that there is currently no way for teachers to moderate how students use AI to generate their work. OpenAI readily admits that ChatGPT has many flaws, such as not knowing what is true and not having human supervision at all times. 

Looking at this issue from a broader perspective helps shift the blame off artificial intelligence. Whether it’s what is asked or how the response is used, humans are responsible for the negative aspects of AI, not the programs themselves. Think of it this way, would you blame the car in a drunk driving incident?

Challenges aside, AI is sure to benefit the world more than harm it. Sam Altman, the director of OpenAI, claims that the AI will improve with added tweaks and consistent user feedback.

 “It’s a mistake to be relying on it for anything important right now,” Altman said. “It is a preview of progress; we have lots of work to do on robustness and truthfulness.”

Additionally, AI can be programmed to recognize simple prompts like “write my story” or “fix my code.” Then, its response can be altered to match its user’s needs. Rather than spitting out an entire essay in seconds, ChatGPT could be changed to guide users in writing essays. Then, programs like ChatGPT can be an asset to both students and teachers. 

AI is a quickly evolving world. A crucial aspect of AI is that it improves with time and use. AI is reliant upon people just as people are beginning to rely on AI. It is finding its place in the modern world every day. 

Technology doesn’t have influence over its creation and its use. What effect AI has on the world depends on the actions of creators and its users alike.