Mr Chan was responding to questions from several MPs in Parliament on Monday.
OpenAI's ChatGPT uses AI to generate a human-like stream of text from user prompts.
The release sparked a global debate about whether its content can mimic human reactions while ignoring previous techniques for identifying cheating by students, such as the use of algorithms to detect plagiarism. caused.
ChatGPT's content is “original” in that it is not simply a regurgitation of other content online.
Lawmakers expressed concerns that the program could lead to potential abuse and encourage students to cheat.
Jalan Besar Group Representative Constituency (GRC) Member of Parliament Dr. Wan Rizal asked if there are any cases of cheating among students in schools and institutions of higher learning (IHL) related to ChatGPT .
He also asked about measures being taken to detect plagiarism.
Dr Tan Wu Meng, Member of Parliament for Jurong GRC, also asked whether AI technologies such as ChatGPT are expected to impact student teaching.
He also asked what is being done to educate human workers with skills so they can remain competitive amid advances in AI.
In response, Mr Chan said schools and IHL have adopted various practices to prevent misuse of technology.
For example, students are taught the importance of honesty and the harmful effects and consequences of plagiarism in daily work.
Teachers may also use multiple assessment modes to measure student proficiency and detect atypical responses that may have been generated by AI, Chan said.
In the case of IHL, such content cannot easily be generated by AI technology due to various assessment methods such as exams, presentations, and field notes.
Various strategies are also employed to detect plagiarism in assignments, such as technical tools to detect content generated by AI technology.
Chan added that these approaches will inevitably evolve over time and that educators will need to help students understand how AI tools like ChatGPT work.
“ChatGPT can provide inaccurate or biased output depending on the input, so students must determine and critically evaluate the accuracy and objectivity of that output,” he said. Ta.
Chan also said that the learning process involves more than just coming up with an answer and submitting it.
This was in response to a follow-up question by Sembawang GRC's Dr Lim Wee Kiak on whether policies related to cheating using AI tools are “clearly defined” in schools.
What's more important, Chan said, is the process of finding the answer and how to arrive at it.
“If some tool helps us come up with a better answer, that's fine. But we expect all students to be honest about where their information comes from.” he said.
Regarding ensuring students' skills are relevant, Mr Chan said schools and IHL are equipping students with skills such as cross-cultural skills and digital competencies.
“These skills are not easily replaced by technology tools, but are acquired through leadership roles and various forms of experiential learning,” he said.
