ChatGPT AI to be open for students to access in all South Australian schools and the three universities from 2023
South Australian education department viewed ChatGPT, capable of producing written content on any subject within seconds, as an improved version of Google that students already used to do their research.
South Australian public schools, several private colleges, Catholic schools and its three universities allowed students to use artificial intelligence websites such as ChatGPT from 2023 except during exams and tests.
While other Australian states such as Queensland and New South Wales banned ChatGPT in schools, the South Australian education department said it would permit access for lessons. The department chief Martin Westwell, a former SACE chief executive and head of science education at Flinders University, said it was important to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) as a valuable educational tool as it was “now part of our world, and it will be the world our young people are going be a part of.”
Westwell said it was inevitable that Al would become one of the greatest technological revolutions: "It's like when calculators came along in the '70s and the internet came along in the '8os,” He said ChatGPT, capable of producing written content on any subject within seconds, was an improved version of Google that students already used to do their research: "Teachers know their students, how they write, how they answer questions. If they use something like ChatGPT, they'll spot it."
Westwell said firewalls would be used to stop students from using AI during SACE (South Australian certicficate of education) exams and other assessments such as NAPLAN (national assessment program – literacy and numeracy) tests: "We have the technology to lock out access to websites, especially during online exams."
South Australian Secondary Principals Association chief executive Jayne Heath said the organisation supported the education department’s stance, as did Catholic Education South Australian director Dr Neil McGoran, also a former SACE chief executive.
Pembroke School, Scotch College and Walford Anglican School were among independent South Australian schools that led the way in permitting access for lessons. Association of Independent Schools South Australua chief executive Anne Dunstan said each of its members was determining “the approach that is right for it in this evolving artificial intelligence space”.
