OpenAI, in collaboration with nonprofit organization Common Sense Media, has launched a free training course for educators to simplify the understanding of artificial intelligence (AI) and prompt engineering. The initiative was announced on Wednesday.
Since the introduction of ChatGPT in November 2022, OpenAI has been at the forefront of revolutionary advancements in generative AI, which the organization says plays a significant role in education. Generative AI, trained on vast datasets, can create human-like content, assisting students with tasks such as drafting term papers, completing science homework, and even writing novels.
The launch of ChatGPT mid-academic year took many educators by surprise, as they realized its potential use for plagiarism and cheating. Consequently, some schools imposed bans on the AI tool.
To address these concerns, OpenAI, backed by Microsoft and other investors with a valuation of $157 billion during its latest funding round, has established a dedicated team to promote responsible use of AI in education. This team is led by Leah Belsky, a former Coursera executive.
“My goal is to empower every student and teacher with AI and provide them with the skills to use it responsibly and effectively,” said Belsky. She added that ChatGPT has become highly popular among students, with parents recognizing it as an essential skill for future careers.
The training course, designed for K-12 educators, demonstrates practical applications of ChatGPT across various educational settings. Topics include lesson content creation and streamlining departmental meetings. Available for free on Common Sense Media’s website, the course marks the first collaboration between OpenAI and Common Sense Media.
