ChatGPT blocked in NYC schools over cheating concerns

Educators fear the chatbot could be used for cheating and serve as a vehicle for misinformation.

Students and teachers in New York City’s education system can no longer access ChatGPT, a chatbot by OpenAI that took the internet by storm after its launch in November.

The AI-powered program can write anything from poems to code and provide articulate responses to user prompts across various topics.

The New York City education department, which runs the largest school system in the US, confirmed the ban to Chalkbeat, which first reported the news.

It told the outlet in the statement that access to ChatGPT was blocked due to “negative impacts on student learning, and concerns regarding the safety and accuracy of content.”

While the chatbot’s language can be varied and coherent, its responses are not always factually correct – and sometimes offensive.

The education department also told Chalkbeat that the tool did not build critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which were “essential” for academic and lifelong success.

The department said that schools can still request access to the program if they plan to study it.