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The New York Times, PBS turn to Furman, Hick for ChatGPT coverage

John Yang (left) of PBS News Weekend speaks with Furman’s Darren Hick (right).

Last updated January 16, 2023

By Tina Underwood

As college campuses and school districts wrestle with how to handle the arrival of ChatGPT, a relatively new AI tool that pumps out credible essays and papers in seconds, Darren Hick of Furman University again finds himself in the national headlines. One of the first to sound off about the technology in a Facebook post last month, the philosophy professor joined correspondent John Yang as a guest on PBS News Weekend. Furman University was mentioned an article appearing in The New York Times.

In the midst of trying to stay a step ahead of ChatGPT, Hick says the tool raises new questions to broach in class. “I teach the ethics of AI in my intro philosophy class,” he told PBS’s Yang. “We’re going to be poking around at this thing later this semester. So it’s absolutely raising questions that are worth asking. But at the same time, it is a potentially dangerous tool.”

A subscription may be required to view content in The New York Times. Furman ID holders may gain access to articles through databases located at Furman University Libraries. The Times story, “Alarmed by A.I. Chatbots, Universities Start Revamping How They Teach,” also ran in The Boston Globe.

 

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