Artificial Intelligence (AI) could be the greatest achievement of the era. At the same time, there are myriads of challenges the era is counteracting due to its erratic rise. It’s like fifty-fifty; people seem to be ambivalent. While some are still debating whether AI is worth it or not, others are already getting the hang of using AI. AI has become an integral part of life for these individuals.
Exploring AI in Daily Life
Let's discuss some general questions regarding AI: Why use AI? How to use AI? Who needs to use AI? The answer is simple: the only purpose of AI is to assist humans. Age doesn’t matter. Profession doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is familiarity with technology. When familiarity comes, teenagers are hands down the most active age group using the internet. Therefore, a general curiosity arises regarding the usage patterns and familiarity with AI among this age group.
Research Background and Objective
Last month, we commenced research on the ‘Evaluation of AI proficiency among high school students’ in the Kathmandu Valley. This research aimed to understand AI usage patterns and students' perspectives regarding AI. For this comprehensive study, Cothink Forum, the IT Club of CBM, and DGlytix collaborated to conduct surveys in different high schools across the Kathmandu Valley. The schools were divided into three categories: high-level schools (highly competent education with enriching facilities), average schools (average facilities), and low-level schools (limited facilities and services, particularly community schools on the outskirts). In addition to this, students were physically interviewed regarding their thoughts about AI.
Research Methodology
The survey for this research is still ongoing in various locations, including both urban and rural areas within Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur districts. Our goal is to collect students' responses in a randomized manner so that the research won’t be biased. While the results of the survey are yet to be published, we have observed a common trend among teenagers. They frequently use ChatGPT, an AI tool built by OpenAI, in comparison to other AI tools. Some were not even aware of the plethora of other AI tools available. It seems that they mainly use ChatGPT to complete assignments assigned by teachers.
Future Directions
This comprehensive research will be completed in around four months. It will delve into the relevance of artificial intelligence in Nepal, usage patterns, and the nature of high school students using AI. At the same time, this may become a valuable report that will provide possible cautions and guidelines to be maintained while using AI..