The use of ChatGPT in education continues to divide opinion – some see it as a tool to complement teaching, while others think it is a threat to students’ ability to think critically.

One school that has embraced it is the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEN) at Andrés Bello University, where it has already been incorporated for analysis and problem-solving tasks in economics courses. To understand it further, faculty members were asked to reflect on its impact.

“ChatGPT could widen the skills and knowledge gap between different students,” said director of FEN’s Department of Economics and Administration Nicolás Garrido. “In the hands of students with a solid background, high motivation and discipline, it can significantly improve their knowledge and skills.

“However, for students who lack a good foundation, motivation or proper habits, the use of AI does not make a noticeable difference. It shows that the learning process is the result of the interaction between knowledge and the socio-emotional skills of students,” he added.

The biggest positive reported in the survey is ChatGPT’s ability to make tailored recommendations for students. “These became the starting point for an individualised strategy for each student,” Garrido revealed.

There were, however, some problems identified, notably that not all of ChatGPT’s applications are free. In addition, it has limited knowledge of anything taking place after September 2021, making it unreliable for connecting classroom learning to current affairs and the developing geopolitical situation.