K12 teachers and district leaders have been tinkering around with artificial intelligence and generative AI chatbots since the release of ChatGPT in November of 2022. Despite this extensive period of experimentation, the technology is still very new in the world of education and the initial concerns among educators still linger.
However, a new partnership aims to make progress toward developing safeguards for young students so they can use the technology responsibly throughout their educational journeys. OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, has partnered with Common Sense Media, a leading source of entertainment and technology recommendations for families, with plans to design an initiative to help teens develop the skills to use AI safely and efficiently.
“We want to figure out how to make this tool safely and responsibly and broadly available to teens and people who are going to use it as part of their educational experience,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said during an event hosted by Common Sense in San Francisco this week.
Last year, Common Sense Media announced a first-of-its-kind AI ratings system for edtech companies to assess the safety, transparency, ethical use and impact of AI products, the organization stated in a press release. The framework serves as a “nutrition label” for each AI product based on eight principles:
- Put people first
- Promote learning
- Prioritize fairness
- Help people connect
- Be trustworthy
- Defend privacy
- Keep kids and teens safe
- Be transparent and accountable
“The public needs a trusted, independent third-party rating system to better understand the perils and possibilities of AI,” James P. Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, said in a statement.
Altman hopes the partnership will eventually “benefit kids without access” to AI tools. He said the mission is to “make really helpful AI available for free.”
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