OpenAI Trains Educators on the Responsible Use of AI

Last updated Nov 21, 2024

On Wednesday, OpenAI, in partnership with Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organisation that evaluates the appropriateness of media and technology for young people, launched a free training course for educators aimed at simplifying the concepts of artificial intelligence (AI) and its responsible use in education

The course is available online and can be accessed through Common Sense Media’s website, specifically targeting K-12 educators.

This initiative comes as OpenAI seeks to emphasise the educational benefits of its ChatGPT chatbot, whose release in November 2022 triggered widespread interest in generative AI, making it one of the fastest-growing applications globally.

We’ve partnered with @OpenAI to launch ChatGPT Foundations for K-12 Educators—a FREE course to help teachers navigate AI in the classroom.

Educators, get started today: https://t.co/dk47dTnvx4

— Common Sense Media (@CommonSense) November 20, 2024

Generative AI, trained on extensive datasets, can create original human-like content, assisting users with tasks such as writing essays, completing science assignments, and even drafting novels.

ChatGPT’s launch, coinciding with the middle of the academic year, left many educators unprepared. Concerns about its potential misuse for cheating and plagiarism led to backlash and subsequent bans in schools.

Also Read: OpenAI partners with Common Sense Media on AI guidelines

To address these issues, OpenAI, backed by Microsoft and other investors with a valuation of $157 billion during its last funding round, has established a dedicated team led by former Coursera executive Leah Belsky. This team focuses on promoting the responsible use of AI in education.

“My goal in this role is to provide every student and teacher with access to AI while equipping them with the skills to use it responsibly and effectively,” Belsky said. She noted that student adoption of ChatGPT is “very, very high” and that many parents support its use, viewing AI skills as critical for future careers.

The training course, aimed at teachers of students from kindergarten to year 12, demonstrates how ChatGPT can be utilised in education, including creating lesson plans and streamlining administrative tasks. It marks the first initiative in OpenAI’s partnership with the organisation.

REUTERS/Chidimma