The Chatbot Is Speaking

1. Set Focus
Pose this essential question to guide discussion: In what ways does technology have positive and negative impacts on our lives?

2. List Vocabulary
Share with students some of the challenging vocabulary words in this article (see below). Encourage them to use context to infer meanings as they read.

• generate (p. 7)
• automating (p. 7)
• extrapolate (p. 8)
• nonsensical (p. 8)
• regurgitating (p. 8)
• detects (p. 9)

3. Engage
Explain that artificial intelligence (A.I.) is the ability some computers have to process information and make decisions similar to how a human would. Ask students to share ways A.I. already affects their lives. Then ask them to make predictions for how A.I. might shape their lives in the future.   

4. Read 
Have students read the article, marking the text to note key ideas or questions.

5. Discuss
Distribute or project Up Close: The Chatbot Is Speaking, a close-reading activity for students to work on in small groups. (Note: The questions on the PDF also appear on the following page of this lesson, with possible responses.) Follow up with a class discussion. If you’re short on time, have each group tackle one or two of the questions. Collect students’ work or have each group report its findings to the class.

• What are the central ideas of the article? (Central ideas, summarize) (The central ideas of the article are: a new chatbot, called ChatGPT, can generate text that seems to have been written by a human and is thus causing concern in relation to its potential effects on everything from business to school homework; artificial intelligence (A.I.) already plays a big role in our lives, such as when talking to Siri or customer service, but ChatGPT takes it to a higher level; many companies are looking to use ChatGPT, and experts think it’s a turning point in technology. However, there are problems with A.I. that concern many people.)

• What concerns do some people have about chatbots? How have some of those concerns been addressed? Do you think they can ever be fully addressed? Explain. (Problem & solution, make evaluations)(The concerns include that chatbots might spread misinformation and perpetuate harmful biases, like other chatbots have; replace workers and eliminate jobs; and allow students to cheat on their homework. Companies have taken down chatbots that began spewing racist and xenophobic comments. Teachers have changed how they have students do writing assignments, such as having first drafts written in class, with limited browsing access. Students’ evaluations will vary but should be supported with reasons and text evidence.)

• What is the literal meaning of gold rush? How is the term used in the section heading “An A.I. Gold Rush”? What does it indicate the section will likely discuss? (Word meaning, text structure)(The term means “a rush to an area where gold was found in the hopes of making money.” As used in the heading, it means “a rush to make money from a new idea.” It indicates that the section will likely discuss how a lot of people are hoping to make money from these recent advances in A.I.)

• What is the author’s main purpose in including the sidebar “Can a Chatbot Write a Sonnet?” What is the expert’s opinion of the sonnet? Do you think most people would see what the expert recognizes? Explain. (Author’s purpose, point of view)(The author’s main purpose in including the sidebar is to give an example of the kind of text ChatGPT generates in response to a complex request. This might provide insight to readers on why some people are concerned about the ways ChatGPT can affect how students do their homework. The expert thinks the chatbot wrote a sonnet that technically fits the form but does not have the beauty or originality of Shakespeare’s sonnets. Students’ opinions about whether most people would see the same issues with the sonnet will vary.) 

• What does the sidebar “Policing ChatGPT” add to your understanding of the article? (Integrate multiple sources)(The sidebar tells about a college student who created an app that detects whether text was written by a human or A.I. This helps readers understand that there may be tech-based ways for teachers to check whether students used a chatbot to do their homework. The sidebar also helps readers understand that technology is always evolving, and problems that emerge via one advance in technology may be addressed through another advance in technology.) 

• Based on the article, how do you think A.I., such as ChatGPT, will affect how schools assign homework and control other aspects of education? Do you think A.I. will lead to cheating and lost learning opportunities? Will it create new avenues for learning? Will it do both? Explain. (Make inferences, cite text evidence)(Students’ responses will vary but should be supported with logical reasoning and evidence from the text.)

6. Writing Prompt
Compare the chatbot’s sonnet with two sonnets Shakespeare wrote. What is your assessment of how well the chatbot did? Explain in a brief essay, supporting your points with text evidence.

7. Video
Watch the video about A.I. What does it add to your understanding?

8. Classroom Debate
Is Edward Tian correct about writing becoming an even more important skill?

9. Quiz & Skills
Use the quiz to assess students’ comprehension and Organizing Ideas to review outlining skills.