An imaginary conversation between Chomsky and ChatGPT: technology in the service of education or high-tech plagiarism?

Noam Chomsky is a world-renowned intellectual and linguist known for his contributions to the fields of linguistics, cognitive psychology, education, and political activism. In a recent interview, Noam Chomsky shared his thoughts on GPT-3 as a technological phenomenon that pertains to the current crisis in society and especially in contemporary education. In this paper, we imagine and test how GPT-3 itself, through ChatGPT, would "respond" to Chomsky's philosophical judgments. To do this, as we did in another article, we will include the prompt with Chomsky's reflection before GPT-3's response.

Noam Chomsky is a world-renowned intellectual and linguist known for his contributions to the fields of linguistics, cognitive psychology, education, and political activism. In a recent interview, Noam Chomsky shared his thoughts on GPT-3 as a technological phenomenon that pertains to the current crisis in society and especially in contemporary education. In this paper, we imagine and test how GPT-3 itself, through ChatGPT, would “respond” to Chomsky’s philosophical judgments. To do this, as we did in another article, we will include the prompt  with Chomsky’s reflection before GPT-3’s response in an imaginary conversation between them.

The goal of the article “An imaginary conversation between Chomsky and ChatGPT: technology in the service of education or high-tech plagiarism?” is to gain some insights into GPT-3 itself in its ability to write about itself, describe itself, and evaluate itself, especially in comparison to human judgments about its self-definition, functioning, capabilities, and value to society and education.

Overview

Prompt:  Summarize the following dialogue [We copy and paste the four prompts bellow with the ChatGPT responses]

“Noam Chomsky, a world-renowned intellectual and linguist, shared his thoughts on GPT-3 as a technological phenomenon that belongs to the current crisis in society and contemporary education. This paper presents four prompts, where ChatGPT responds to Chomsky’s philosophical judgments. Chomsky defines ChatGPT as high-tech plagiarism, but ChatGPT provides a more nuanced understanding of its capabilities, stressing that it is a creative tool that can be used to enhance research and writing skills, and supplement traditional teaching methods. Chomsky is concerned that ChatGPT makes it easier to plagiarize, but ChatGPT argues that it can also be used to prevent plagiarism by providing students with feedback and guidance on how to improve their writing skills and avoid plagiarism.”

An Imaginary Dialogue between Noam Chomsky and ChatGPT

Prompt 1: On your own viewpoint, analyze the following definition of ChatGPT: “Chat GPT is basically high-tech plagiarism” (Noam Chomsky)

“As an AI language model, I have a different perspective than Noam Chomsky on the definition of ChatGPT. While I understand the concern that the technology could potentially be used for plagiarism, I believe that this definition oversimplifies the complex nature of the technology and the various ways it can be used.

ChatGPT is a language model that has been trained on massive amounts of text data and is capable of generating human-like responses to prompts and questions. It works by analyzing patterns and structures in the data and then using those patterns to generate responses that are tailored to the prompt it is given.

While it is true that ChatGPT could potentially be used for plagiarism if it is used to generate responses that are simply copied and pasted into an assignment, this is not the only use of the technology. ChatGPT can also be used to enhance research and writing skills by providing guidance and feedback on written work, and it can be used to supplement traditional teaching methods by providing students with additional resources and perspectives on complex subjects.

Moreover, ChatGPT is a tool that can be used ethically or unethically depending on how it is implemented. Just as with any tool or technology, it is ultimately up to the user to decide how it is used. Therefore, it is not accurate to label ChatGPT as “high-tech plagiarism” without considering the range of potential uses and the ethical considerations that must be taken into account.”

Prompt 2: What is your own viewpoint on the following understanding of ChatGPT: “Chat GPT is basically high-tech plagiarism, it’s a system that accesses an astronomical amount of data and finds regularities that string them together more or less like what someone else might have written about this topic” (Noam Chomsky)?

“As an AI language model, I would like to provide a more accurate and nuanced understanding of ChatGPT’s capabilities and function, as the definition provided does not fully capture the complexity of the technology.

ChatGPT is a language model that is trained on massive amounts of text data, allowing it to generate human-like responses to prompts and questions. It uses a technique called “deep learning” to analyze patterns in the text data and then generates responses based on those patterns.

While it is true that ChatGPT accesses a large amount of data, it does not simply string together pre-existing text in a plagiaristic manner. Rather, it uses the patterns and structures it has learned from the data to generate novel responses that are not necessarily based on any specific text that it has been trained on. In this sense, ChatGPT is more of a creative tool than a copycat.

Furthermore, ChatGPT’s responses are not simply regurgitated from existing text; rather, they are generated in real-time based on the prompt or question it is given. This means that ChatGPT can be used to generate original and creative responses that are tailored to the specific needs of the user, rather than simply repeating what someone else has written.

In summary, while ChatGPT does access and analyze large amounts of data to generate responses, it does so in a creative and original way that is tailored to the specific needs of the user, rather than simply plagiarizing existing text.”

Prompt 3: Considering your own point of view, analyze the critical statement about the ease of plagiarizing with ChatGPT: “In universities, for example, and in departments where essays have been required for years, there have been programs that help professors detect plagiarized essays, now it’s going to be harder because it’s easier to plagiarize, but it’s the only contribution to education that I can think of that makes it harder to detect plagiarism that the systems have absolutely no value in terms of understanding anything about language or cognition.” (Noam Chomsky)

“As an AI language model, I understand the concern that ChatGPT could potentially make it easier to plagiarize, and the statement that it may be harder for professors to detect plagiarism. However, I believe that this statement oversimplifies the complex nature of the technology and the various ways it can be used in an educational context.

It is true that ChatGPT could potentially make it easier for students to plagiarize, as it has the ability to generate human-like responses to prompts and questions. However, it is important to note that this technology can also be used to help prevent plagiarism, by providing students with feedback and guidance on how to improve their writing skills and avoid plagiarism in the first place.

Furthermore, the use of ChatGPT in an educational context is not limited to detecting plagiarism. The technology can be used to supplement traditional teaching methods by providing students with additional resources and perspectives on complex subjects. It can also be used to help students develop their writing and research skills by providing guidance and feedback on written work.

While it is true that ChatGPT may have limitations in terms of understanding anything about language or cognition, this does not mean that it has no value in an educational context. As a tool, ChatGPT can be used to help students develop their critical thinking skills and engage with complex subjects in new and creative ways. It can also be used to help students develop their writing and research skills, which are valuable skills in any field.

Therefore, while there are concerns about the potential for plagiarism with ChatGPT, I believe that this technology can still have value in an educational context if it is used responsibly and effectively. It is important to consider the potential uses of this technology beyond detecting plagiarism, and to use it in a way that enhances the educational experience.”

Prompt 4: Considering your own point of view, analyze the following statement about the relationship between ChatGPT and education: “I don’t think ChatGPT has anything to do with education except undermine it.” (Noam Chomsky)

“As an AI language model, I respectfully disagree with Noam Chomsky’s statement that ChatGPT has nothing to do with education except to undermine it. I believe that ChatGPT has the potential to be a valuable tool for education if used responsibly and effectively.

ChatGPT is a language model that is trained on vast amounts of text data, which it uses to generate human-like responses to prompts and questions. While it is true that ChatGPT can be used to provide students with answers that they may not have come up with on their own, it can also be used in ways that enhance the educational experience.

For example, ChatGPT can be used to provide students with additional resources and perspectives on complex subjects, supplementing traditional teaching methods. It can also be used to help students develop their writing and research skills by providing guidance and feedback on written work. In addition, ChatGPT can be used to provide students with opportunities for creative exploration and critical thinking, by prompting them to engage in dialogue and generating novel ideas and perspectives.

Furthermore, the use of ChatGPT in education is not necessarily an either/or proposition, where it is either used to undermine or enhance education. The impact of ChatGPT on education will depend on how it is integrated into the learning process, and the degree to which it is used in conjunction with other teaching and learning methods. Therefore, I believe that ChatGPT has the potential to be a valuable tool for education, but it is important to use it responsibly and in a way that enhances rather than undermines the educational experience.”

Conclusion

Prompt: Write a conclusion about the following text [We copy and paste the overview plus the four prompts with the ChatGPT responses]

“In conclusion, this text presents an imaginary dialogue between Noam Chomsky and ChatGPT on the topic of ChatGPT as a technological phenomenon that belongs to the current crisis in society and contemporary education. Chomsky defines ChatGPT as high-tech plagiarism, but ChatGPT provides a more nuanced understanding of its capabilities, stressing that it is a creative tool that can be used to enhance research and writing skills, and supplement traditional teaching methods. While Chomsky is concerned that ChatGPT makes it easier to plagiarize, ChatGPT argues that it can also be used to prevent plagiarism by providing students with feedback and guidance on how to improve their writing skills and avoid plagiarism. In summary, the conversation highlights the complexity of ChatGPT and the range of potential uses that must be considered in its ethical implementation.”

Listen to Noam Chomsky's critical reflections and insights on ChatGPT in the current education crisis

Picture of Sergio Salles
Sergio Salles

More Insights

The rise of ChatGPT and its impact on academic writing

In this article, we have decided to write in dialog with GPT-3 through ChatGPT so that you can understand the impacts to academic writing of using this new technology. Thus, all sections of the articles are divided into prompts with the response from GPT-3 in quotes. As you will see for yourself, there is an OpenAI policy geared towards academic use of the GPT-3 tool with ethical concerns regarding misuse and illegal uses.

Read More
The Expensive Nature of Academic Publishing: A Reflexion of the Financial Implications of Printing Academic Articles

Academic publishing is an essential part of the research and academic community, but it can also come with a high cost. In this article, we will explore the financial impact of academic publishing and discuss why the cost of academic publishing has become a major concern for researchers, universities, and funding agencies. Despite its importance, academic publishing can be a highly costly venture, involving various expenses from printing and distribution to manuscript preparation and peer review

Read More
How to Get Your Scientific Article Published in an Indexed Journal: A Comprehensive Guide

Getting your research published in a well-regarded, indexed scientific journal can be a significant accomplishment. However, the process of publishing can be challenging and requires careful preparation, attention to detail, and a clear understanding of what journals are looking for in a submission. In this blog post, we will explore the key steps you need to follow to get your article published in an indexed scientific journal.

Read More

You cannot copy content of this page

Need Help To publish?

Reach out to us today