A variety of criticisms have arisen concerning how ChatGPT was created, particularly with regards to social justice, ethics, inherent biases and risks. It's worthwhile to bring these issues to the attention of students, perhaps as part of the classroom discussion on acceptable and unacceptable uses of the tool in the classroom. It's possible many of the students are unaware of these issues and may find them of great interest. It's also worthwhile to bring these issues to the forefront so that students are trained to become more informed and savvy about new technologies as they inevitably appear in the coming years.

ChatGPT and Social Justice

Almost as soon as ChatGPT-3.5 was released in November, 2022, articles began to appear about its controversial use of labor. In January of 2023, Time magazine ran an article about Open AI's contract with a company in Kenya that paid workers $2.00/hour to screen highly objectionable material for the company. Many of the workers reported feeling traumatized by the viewings. Workers in other parts of the globe also have been exploited by big tech companies.

Another fear is that the digital divide will expand even more between those who have access to computers and AI and those who don't. As Open AI continues to monetize ChatGPT, some will be able to afford it while others will not.

ChatGPT and Bias and Ethics

Other concerns include the inherent bias found in LLMs, largely due to the information sources they rely on. Critics contend that ChatGPT is biased against people of color and women.  Critics also point to the unethical practice of grabbing information from a variety of sources without gaining permission. 

ChatGPT and Risks

Risks include the hallucinations addressed in the "ChatGPT Hallucination" section. Some of the hallucinations created by ChatGPT have resulted in unfounded personal smears of individuals as a result of fabricated information. There is also the very real risk of the tool being used for the widespread dissemination of false and dangerous information. Additionally, there is genuine concern within the tech industry that hallucinations may not be able to be completely eliminated. All of these risks argue for a cautious and informed use of the tool.

The links in the section "Associated Sources on Social Justice, Ethics, Bias and Risks" contain sources that can help inform discussions of these issues with students.