Getting to grips with generative AI

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), in conversations with other health regulators, is currently considering the use of artificial intelligence (AI). Concerns have been raised that ChatGPT, a generative AI tool, is being used by nurses to complete their reflections as part of the revalidation process. This echoes considerations for colleagues delivering higher education programmes.

A Google search delivered the following description of ChatGPT:

‘… a natural language processing chatbot driven by generative AI that allows you to have human-like conversations to complete various tasks. For example, the AI tool can answer questions and assist you with tasks such as composing emails, essays, and code.’

Spector (2023), in her discussions with Sanford education scholars who undertook research with students, reported that the launch of ChatGPT AI chatbots has triggered an alarm for many educators, who worry about students using the technology to cheat by passing off its writing as their own. However, the research found that AI was not in fact increasing the frequency of cheating.