Dr. Asela Gunasekara, Senior Lecturer at General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, spoke at ITN in collaboration with LK Domain Registry to discuss the effects and negative impacts of GPT.
He talked about how to use GPT effectively—encouraging users to learn through it like a mentor rather than simply copying and pasting answers. He emphasized the importance of using GPT as a tool to understand concepts deeply, rather than just replicating content without thinking.
Good Effects of Using GPT
- Personalized Learning Support: Provides instant explanations and helps clarify difficult concepts anytime.
- Improves Writing and Creativity: Assists in brainstorming ideas, improving grammar, and structuring essays.
- Saves Time: Helps quickly generate summaries, outlines, or study guides.
- Encourages Curiosity: Makes exploring new topics easier and more accessible.
- Practice and Revision: Can create quizzes, flashcards, and practice questions tailored to the user.
- Programming Help: Assists with coding problems, debugging, and learning new programming languages.
Bad Effects of Using GPT
- Over-reliance: Users might depend too much on GPT and not develop critical thinking or problem-solving skills.
- Academic Dishonesty: Risk of students copying answers directly without understanding or doing their own work.
- Shallow Learning: Using GPT as a shortcut may prevent deep understanding of subjects.
- Misinformation Risk: GPT may occasionally provide incorrect or outdated information.
- Reduced Writing Skills: If used excessively for writing tasks, it might hinder the development of personal writing style.
- Privacy Concerns: Sharing sensitive or personal information could be risky if not careful.
