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The rise and development of technology have always created flux in human society, with groups choosing caution over acceptance in most cases. This is especially true in the case of AI, where fears relating to automation and even replication of human behavior form an important part. However, governments and institutions have had rather stringent AI regulations in place, to ensure both research and implementation of the technology occur without breaching any ethical statutes. However, ever since the release of AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, numerous organizations—both international and local—have raised an increasing amount of concern relating to AI and its impact.
As teachers began reporting issues with students increasingly using ChatGPT and other AI text generators to turn in homework and write essays, the governments were quick to react and either banned it entirely or advised caution against its usage. However, institutions and governments across the world have also begun considering AI ethics and regulating AI more seriously since the launch and subsequent boom of ChatGPT. Given that these technologies are not only going to impact students, but also all of human life, official interest is steadily growing. The setting up of dedicated AI laws being one of the options, further explorations will require steady monitoring of the growth of AI overall. The below portions of this article examine how AI is being regulated both within and outside of the classroom to ensure equitable and responsible usage of technology.
AI Rules: The Need to Regulate AI & Redefine AI Ethics
Restructuring the ethical framework for AI is a growing necessity.
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Apart from the fears of use by potentially dangerous organizations, numerous stakeholders and groups have raised concerns surrounding generative AI primarily about its misuse in education. Within two months since its release, applications such as ChatGPT have garnered more than 100 million monthly users, turning it into the world’s fastest-growing piece of technology. While technical professionals are primarily concerned about AI technology being used by hackers to generate sophisticated malware that can attack networks, educationists and academics have become increasingly anxious about the potential rise in plagiarism and AI-generated essays. Despite the constant fears of automation looming around in the industry, the rise of generative AI has forced a rethink and brought about many other real-world concerns about its use by different groups.
Other issues with AI such as inaccurate responses along with biased outcomes are also becoming causes for concern for policymakers looking to integrate technologies into their visions of creating more equitable and inclusive societies. Addressing these core AI ethics issues is key to developing them further. The drafting of coherent AI rules and laws will ensure that these tools will become more integrated with our communities and have an unbiased, accurate, and balancing effect. Moreover, the disproportionate advantages offered by technology are also a looming concern for several lawmakers that seek to address social and overall development in society. Closely monitoring AI systems alongside assessing their impact and usage by different groups of individuals is equally important for their regulation and optimization to fit humanity’s future goals. While ethics in AI have always played a crucial role in its core development, new insights that have gotten the entire world talking concerning the ethical use of AI must be included and addressed accordingly.
AI Laws and Regulations in Today’s World
More lawmakers are slowly taking notice of the growing concerns regarding generative AI in the world.
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The news of students utilizing tools such as ChatGPT didn’t take too long to cause a flutter in legislative offices and policymaking circles. The difficulties faced by teachers in detecting artificially generated writing and its related AI ethics issues were quickly picked up by local and international governments. The uptick in the use of chatbots in schools resulted in the ban of ChatGPT in schools in New York and other cities across the world. While policymakers are still exploring the implications of the versatile AI tool, rumors abound about the ban being reversed to allow ChatGPT’s use in a monitored fashion.
In other parts of the world, the EU’s AI regulations have also been reported to have prioritized ChatGPT and other chatbots. The European Union’s current Commissioner for the Internal Market has been more vocal in voicing his opinions relating to the increased regulation of AI, to promote a free flow of accurate and trustworthy AI-generated information. The EU’s AI regulations are also reportedly undergoing an overhaul to accommodate more relevant rules for monitoring general-purpose AIs. The necessity for regulation is increasingly being made relevant by the real-world impact that AI has had in the last few months, making institutions reevaluate older rules to accommodate current developments. In the United States, Representative Ted Lieu tabled a resolution written entirely by ChatGPT to bring everyone’s notice to the necessity of regulating AI. The above examples merely showcase the attempts of legislators and policymakers from across the world attempting to make peace with an increasingly AI-influenced future. More steps will have to be undertaken to ensure AI remains monitored and used for the benefit of educating humanity equitably.
The Future of AI Regulations: What Lies in Store
Closely monitoring AI and the content it generates is crucial to harnessing its positive potential.
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While current regulations are being remodeled to fit the growing needs of the expanding technological potential of AI, policymakers and academics must also look to creatively address the AI ethics issues they come across in everyday life, now that chatbots are relatively commonplace occurrences. There’s also an increasing demand for AI content detectors, with numerous tools already making their way to the mainstream. Other steps in regulating AI and AI-aided tools would be to assess the risk posed by this software and the potential for their use by malicious actors. With the creators of generative AI like ChatGPT referring to this looming hazard, it’s quintessential for governments and institutions across the world to take notice and work on drafting effective regulations to keep AI misuse in check. Instituting enhanced transparency in the usage of AI must be promoted to avoid issues such as plagiarism. Policymakers must also consider mandatorily labeling AI-generated content to help people identify content written by these tools. Alongside these measures, instituting feedback mechanisms to improve AI might also be the way forward, ensuring that the technology moves in a direction that is suitable for all stakeholders.