Generative AI

Dear parents and carers

I am writing to you regarding recent developments in the technology of generative AI (Artificial Intelligence). 2023 has seen an exponential rise in the availability and capability of this new technology, in part because of sites such as ChatGTP opening itself up globally for free. The purpose of this is not so much to offer a free service to individuals around the world, but rather for these kinds of platforms to gather as much data as possible to improve its performance.

Staff have recently undertaken professional learning around AI and its implications for teaching and learning, particularly in relation to assessment tasks. We have begun and will continue to discuss the implications of AI with students and have begun to build a resource base of information around this new technology to guide students in its potential benefits, but also about the dangers of its misuse.

In short, AI has the potential benefit to assist students in generating ideas for tasks, to summarise material, to ask relevant questions around content of a particular topic and the like. However, the deficit to this is also in the very design of AI. By its programming, it is designed to provide answers to all questions, so in some instances it will make information up (known as ‘hallucinating’) which is inaccurate.

The greatest risk for students misusing AI technology is asking to write all or part of an assessment for them. If this occurs, it is a breach of academic integrity and will be managed by the College in the same way as we would a case of plagiarism. This may include cases of students asking AI to rewrite text they have already produced in order to improve the quality of writing or asking for references to be generated within a text, as in most cases, the references will be incorrect or do not exist.

More detailed information regarding AI and its implications for students and schools can be located on the BSSS (Board of Senior Secondary Studies) website via this link:

https://www.bsss.act.edu.au/news/2023_news_items/special_interest_paper

This document will also be made available through the “Students” and “Parents” portals on the College website. While the focus is students in senior studies, the material has the same application for students in Years 7-10.

Thank you for your ongoing support in the teaching and learning for students at St Francis Xavier College in this new and evolving area of technology.

Yours Sincerely

Jonathan Moyle

Assistant Principal Teaching and Learning