Ethical and Unethical Uses: How to Use and NOT Use ChatGPT
A Tech-Positive Guide to ChatGPT - Part 3
See Part 1 here: What is ChatGPT? Is It Biased? Can I Trust It?
See Part 2 here: ChatGPT and The Importance of Good Prompts
The question I have received most often so far in my CGPT journey is “Have you used it to write a sermon yet?” The answer is no.
Now, you certainly COULD use CGPT to write your sermon for you, just like you certainly COULD purchase sermon manuscripts from the internet and preach them word for word. Both are unethical.
Similarly, I could have but most certainly did not (FYI, Dr. Baxter!) use CGPT to convincingly complete many of the weekly short essay assignments for a recent seminary course I completed. I could simply enter the assignment as a prompt and within seconds have a response of the exact length needed that I could lightly edit and submit - and this would most likely go undetected.
If I enter, “Compare Matthew’s resurrection narrative, specifically, 28:1-15 with the account of the Magi in 2:1-12. Are there similarities? What would be the point or significance of such parallels? In other words, why would Matthew do this?” I will get a good answer that I could lightly edit and submit.
How to Cheat?
Does it seem here like I’m showing people how to cheat? I guess that’s one way to look at it. The other way is to see it as an advanced warning to educators. In one of my daughter’s high school classes, the teacher has already taken a “No CGPT” approach instead of choosing to educate his students about how to use it wisely. I would advise educators instead to develop an “AI Ethical Use Policy” when it comes to CGPT. (If you know of examples where this already exists, please leave a comment.)
Likewise, for pastors, the temptation to use this tech as a shortcut is present and powerful. Say, for example, you need a short devotional for a meeting. Try this prompt: “Write a 500-word devotional on 1 Peter 4:12-19.” You can see the result here.
It’s not bad. Deliver those words with some emotion and add a few extemporaneous comments and chances are nobody is going to suspect you of cheating. But you are, you are cheating yourself of the sanctifying effect of determined Scripture study and you are cheating your hearers by presenting work that is not your own.
So don’t do it. Don’t allow CGPT to do the work that will keep you sharp.
As a general guideline, you should feel free to submit your work to CGPT and ask it to analyze, critique, and offer suggestions for improvement. Use it to CHECK the work you’ve already done, not to DO the work you’re too lazy to do. (I’ll provide an example of this by pasting what I’ve written in the article into CGPT with the prompt: “Analyze and make suggestions for improvement”. You can see the results here.)
Conclusion
One way to view emergent technologies is to see them as new sources of light. We should feel free to explore the new realms that are illuminated by this new light while at the same time exercising caution and not flying directly into the flame and being consumed.
We are certainly very close to a time (if not already in the time) when the work of AI in many realms such as writing, video, graphics, and sound will be all but indistinguishable from works of human ingenuity or talent. This is already leading to ethical dilemmas as well as outright unethical uses.
As with almost every powerful piece of technology, the key to curbing abuse is not avoidance but teaching proper use. It would be better to engage with this technology and as people of discernment, be in the group of early adopters to explore the possibilities and then to suggest ethical guidelines.
Let’s not make the mistakes of the past and lose years of fruitful use because we started with fear which leads to avoidance instead of faith which leads to engagement.
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