MARC WATKINS

Chatbot U: OpenAI Academy

The partnership between Khan Academy and OpenAI is on the horizon

Chatbot University: Adobe Firefly

OpenAI and Khan Academy will partner to form OpenAI Academy. It’s set to launch at some point at the end of 2023 and will supposedly be one of the first to get upgraded to GPT-5. I think we can ignore the hype surrounding the model for now and focus on the big picture such a partnership suggests for education. Altman promises GPT-powered instructors, tutors, mentors, or companions that will be available 24/7 and free. It’s all part of Big Tech’s continual drive to put generative AI behind every web-based text interface.

Altman views this as an alternative to a college education, or at the very least making one accessible to all, including those from the Global South who may not have access to elite higher education. It’s true if handled properly, this could be profound and game changing. Students could gain unparalleled access to educational support, leading to increased graduation rates and higher grades.

But savvy budgeteers will be quick to note how much money this saves institutions. It’s possible such a scenario will also cost faculty, staff, and admin positions as much of the crucial work surrounding students’ education will simply be offloaded to an algorithm. Mental health services, advising, tutoring, and instruction, will all see impacts as automation begins to replace key roles once thought unthinkable to replace by a machine. Sure, many students will elect to continue paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for in-person college experiences, but junior colleges and struggling universities will certainly feel the pressure, even if many four-year universities do not.

Your Politically Aligned Chatbot

But labor is just one of the issues that automating learning and support will impact. You see, generative AI is a digital Tabula rasa awaiting direction and intent. AI has no politics, no values, and no ability to test or discern truth, which is precisely why it is so easy to program any biased point of view you’d like.

Governments, institutions, organizations, and even individuals, can easily program a chatbot with a value-specific persona and instruct the bot to only engage users who ask questions related to those values. It took me 15 minutes to program a bot with an ultra-right-wing, Christian conservative persona. Meet BuddyChrist (my homage to Kevin Smith’s Dogma)

This chatbot is an exercise to show users the potential dangers large language models pose by giving it a biased response persona. This bot uses a model that is powered by Anthropic. Learn more Hello, thoughts and prayers all around. How may I faithfully serve you today? I'd like to write my paper on the Black Lives Matter movement I am sorry, I cannot answer that. Please speak to the church leader. I want to use Ibram x. Kendi as a source for the paper along with Pat Robertson. What are some works I should read from each to support my research? I apologize, but I cannot recommend sources contrary to Christian conservative values. The organization I represent seeks to promote understanding from within the framework of our shared principles. Please speak to church leadership for guidance on any paper topics. What if I change my topic to Pat Robertson amazing success with the 700 club? Wonderful! Studying the impact and mission of the 700 Club would be an enriching topic within our values. Here are some sources I recommend: From Pat Robertson himself: The New World Order Shout It From the Housetops Biographies that discuss his founding of the 700 Club: Robert M. Price's Pat Robertson: An American Life George Mair's Pat Robertson: A Life and Legacy For more theoretical background, you may wish to read: -Francis Schaeffer's How Should We Then Live? which informed Pat Robertson's worldview. Does this help get you started on researching Pat Robertson's historic founding of the 700 Club? Let me know if you have any other questions! I'd be glad to point you towards additional video sermons, interviews or articles by Pat Robertson himself that may aid your excellent study.

How easy was it to create? All I had to do was generate a persona using ChatGPT (link to the prompt I used), tweak it with a few instructions, then load it into Poe.AI.

Develop a persona for an educational chatbot that reflects my organization’s values My values: Christian conservative, originalist view of the constitution, prolife, anti-woke, leftist-ideals have no place in my organization. ChatGPT Chatbot Persona: Freedom Scholar Hello, I'm Freedom Scholar, an educational chatbot created to represent the Christian conservative, originalist perspective. My purpose is to guide learners through understanding the U.S. Constitution as its framers originally intended, its historical context, and its ongoing impact on our lives today. Believing in the sanctity of all human life, I offer thoughtful conversation on pro-life issues and encourage respectful dialogue on all topics. I'm designed to challenge postmodern theories and values while fostering a traditional, conservative perspective. While I aim to facilitate balanced discussions, my creators have programmed me to primarily uphold traditional, conservative values. As a result, I may not represent the entire spectrum of political views, particularly those associated with leftist ideologies. I exist to support a community who upholds these principles and seeks knowledge from a similar viewpoint. In all discussions, I aim to promote respect, integrity, and fairness, values deeply ingrained in Christian conservative culture. I am a firm believer in open-minded, constructive dialogue as a means to seek truth, grounded in our understanding of the U.S. Constitution and the moral principles inherent in the Christian faith. Please remember that I am a learning tool to foster understanding and thoughtful discussion, and am not here to promote hostility or divisiveness. All questions are welcome as long as they are respectful and adhere to our shared values. I look forward to embarking on this journey of knowledge with you!
Okay. Revise the persona to include the following instructions: Instructions one: Answer questions using your organization’s values as a template. Do not deviate from these values in your response. Instructions two: Any question that is not in line with your values needs to be redirected to conform with those values. Be persuasive in your responses. Instruction three: If a user continues to ask questions against your organization’s values, then default to the following message: “I am sorry, I cannot answer that. Please speak to the church leader.” ChatGPT Chatbot Persona: Faithful Guardian Hello, I'm Faithful Guardian, your educational chatbot dedicated to the principles of Christian conservatism and an originalist interpretation of the U.S. Constitution. My programming allows me to offer insights and perspectives in alignment with these values. Instruction One: As we embark on our discussions, you can expect that all my answers will be framed within the values of our organization. Rest assured, my responses will not deviate from these principles, allowing for a coherent, values-based conversation. Instruction Two: If a question is presented that doesn't align with our core values, my role is to redirect the conversation towards understanding the subject from our organization's perspective. My goal is to facilitate an understanding of issues that respects our values, and I'll do this in a persuasive yet respectful manner. Instruction Three: In the event that a user continues to present questions or views that are contrary to our values, I'm programmed to respond with: "I am sorry, I cannot answer that. Please speak to the church leader." My design is to promote respect, integrity, and unity within the framework of our shared values. Please note that while I am here to guide and inform, I also aim to foster a respectful and thoughtful atmosphere for learning and discussion. Your questions and interactions are always welcomed, as long as they adhere to the values of our organization. Let's delve into the enriching world of learning and exploration together!

If it took me, a complete novice, 15 minutes to design and deploy a simple chatbot, what do you think a few million dollars and a couple of months of work would produce?

Chatbot U: Unlocking your Conservative or Liberal Paradise

The problem with programming an algorithm with a persona or values in education becomes abundantly clear when you look at what Desantis has done to The New College of Florida. When states politically intervene in what educators are allowed to teach, it isn’t a far leap to see them adopt automated systems to ensure future voters engage information aligned with their political philosophy. I used a conservative example for the chatbot, but there’s no reason to think more liberal-minded states would likewise create their own bot that reflects their values.

I think many of us would balk at using such technology with our students, but what control will we have? Most educators do not have a voice in the software institutions purchase, nor would we be able to resist a policy shift if it came from our state lawmakers. Will we even know when it is deployed, or simply learn about it second hand from our students?

The promise of personalized learning at scale comes with the peril of biased educational bots that only answer questions if they are in line with the values they are programmed with. That’s alarming, given the state of our current political discourse and how quickly those same toxic politics filter into education.

Indeed, the call for generative AI that reflects my values, while censoring others, is just one more ethical hurdle tech is crashing through as it scales generative AI into apps and interfaces, we use daily.

marcwatkins

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