The educational challenges of ChatGPT

In 2023, ChatGPT exploded onto the educational scene and started fostering a myriad of research endeavors exploring the utilization of artificial intelligence in education [8, 38]. Many scholars argue that discerning between AI-generated and original academic work has become increasingly challenging, a testament to AI's evolving capability [16]. This paper focuses on the pivotal role of education professionals in mediating the integration of such digital technologies, a key aspect as AI becomes a standard in education. It provides a thoughtful analysis of the prospective advantages and challenges of employing ChatGPT from a techno-realist perspective and formulates precise research questions to evaluate its impact on learning. Our goal is to critically explore whether ChatGPT and related AI technologies serve as assets or disadvantages in education, shedding light on the unavoidable challenges encountered during their incorporation.