ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – Artificial intelligence is taking the technology world by storm. A language model, better known as AI Chats, is helping people find answers to pretty much anything. AI gathers and sorts information from the internet, making it easy to ask it questions on any topic as if you were talking to a real person.

In today’s digital age, students are discovering this secret weapon to conquer school assignments. A recent graphic design graduate from Abilene Christian University, Javier Soto, said it’s fascinating to see how much technology has evolved.

“I’m learning more towards its a tool that we can use and benefit from. I think it’s really cool we reached that level of technology today,” said Soto.

Soto has used the technology himself and is amazed at the possibilities of the program.

“I’ve messed around with it, I’ve asked questions, I’ve had some conversations as well, it’s pretty cool. I mean the answers are kind of, like, broad sometimes but sometimes you’d be surprised at how specific the answers can be too,” shared Soto.

ACU senior Maurica Simpson said she has seen people use AI, like ChatGPT, for everything.

“I’ve seen people use it for projects, assignments, I’ve seen people using it for quizzes,” shared Simpson.

As a journalism major, Simpson said it’s concerning how research that typically takes hours can now take seconds

“I do think AI and technology is definitely going to be our future. I don’t really know what that is going to look like right now. But I do think we need to take everything as it comes and take one thing at a time,” added Simpson.

ACU Junior Jackson Callaway said he has used AI to help solve chemistry problems. He shared that the way AI solves the problem is not how the problem is solved in the classroom. So, although it’s a useful tool, human connection is more important.

“Instead of going to a friend or a counselor, using ChatGPT can kind of be different and not provide the one-on-one experience you need as a person,” expressed Callaway.

Director of composition at ACU, Dr. Debbie Williams, said she noticed her own students using ChatGPT in the classroom.

“We realized that because the writing is suddenly repetitive, sounds robotic, and it will miss details,” said Williams.

She is embracing the technology and teaching students how to use it the right way.

“We talked about how just like any information you use from any source, whether it’s human or artificial intelligence, you say what you got from where and you would cite it,” shared Williams.

She encouraged all educators to set some guidelines and limitations on its use in the classroom.

“It’s incumbent on us as teachers at every level to mention it, teach it, have policies for it,” said Williams.

Just as the introduction of computers disrupted education and reshaped policy, this new technology will go through the same questions.

“ChatGPT is just something we invented tools never make our lives easier they only help us in certain aspects,” said Williams.

Williams is pushing for Congress to set some rules and regulations on the software, as well as ensuring the tool is accessible to all.

“Push our congress hard to use this window to work with the experts in AI to put training wheels at the very least. If not, guidelines that are appropriate, something they really missed when social media was beginning to be used,” said Williams.