How AI is being used by Qld professionals ... and why we must be careful

As we embrace artificial intelligence, predicted to grow “exponentially”, a fresh warning has been issued about the “game changer”. WHAT IT MEANS

ChatGPT is being used by Queensland principals to write school newsletters, by lawyers to create wills and contracts, even by doctors for consolidating patient data.

Industries across Queensland are embracing artificial intelligence which is predicted to grow “exponentially” over the next decade.

While the age of AI has allowed for previously time-consuming tasks to be streamlined, it has also come with warnings that it could lead to human “extinction”.

Griffith University artificial intelligence expert Dr David Tuffley said future generations would recognise this period in time as a “quantum leap forward” in computing.

“This is the beginning of something that will only get bigger and faster and at an exponential pace of development,” Dr Tuffley said.

“I see it having a really important role in helping professionals, and school kids, do their jobs. I see it becoming way more powerful, way more diverse than it currently is.”

It comes after the federal government announced an eight-week public consultation period to consider regulating AI with Industry Minister Ed Husic calling for “modern laws for modern technology”.

Queensland Secondary Principals Association president Mark Breckenridge said ChatGPT and similar AI was becoming increasingly used by teachers, principals and students.

Queensland Secondary Principals Association president Mark Breckenridge said AI was the “biggest change to education” in decades but encouraged it being used wisely.

Mr Breckenridge described AI as the “biggest change to education” in decades but warned that it was crucial that it was used carefully and in appropriate settings.

“One of the challenges we have is making sure everyone in the school community knows it has a place for good but also when it shouldn’t be used,” Mr Breckenridge said.

Mr Breckenridge said teachers and principals, many of whom are swamped with paperwork, could use AI to potentially save time in class.

“Students in some schools are allowed to use it to begin their work, but then go on with their own thinking to refine it or enhance it,” Mr Breckenridge said.

“Some teachers use it to provide a stimulus from ChatGPT and get the students to analyse it. It’s a piece originated from ChatGPT and students can be tasked to fact check it, or some are asked to provide an alternative view.

“Because it’s so time saving it’s being used as a starting point. Principals can say to ChatGPT give me 300 words for a newsletter or a speech and again they refine it.”

Mr Breckenridge said naturally some portions of students were using the technology to cheat on assignments and homework.

“There is software that can check for plagiarism. We can see if it’s 70 per cent generated by AI,” he said.

“So that’s an opportunity for teachers to have that conversation with the parents and student. There is some of that happening but not in large amounts.”

Queensland Law Society’s Shane Budden said ChatGPT was being used to make wills, build up standard contracts and for gathering research for cases.

Mr Budden, the society’s special counsel, ethics, urged industry professionals to “get their heads around” AI and embrace it’s arrival.

“It’s too late to think it’s a passing fad. This is a whole new game changer already,” Mr Budden said.

“Our profession has to also be alive to the fact that clients might use it to second guess ourselves.”

However, like other experts he encouraged caution against over relying on the technology.

“It can make things easier for lawyers, no question,” Mr Budden said.

“But anyone who relies on it entirely could be in for a shock.”

Dr Tuffley said ChatGPT was being used in his own profession to great success.

“I use it quite a lot for lecture notes, powerpoint all those sorts of things. I could Google these things and get the same information but ChatGPT does it in about one third of the time,” Dr Tuffley said.

“The same principles can apply across many professions. Law, education and medicine are ones that come to mind.”

According to a Federal Department of Industry discussion paper titled Safe and responsible AI in Australia, AI technologies are already deployed in society.

Hospitals are using AI to consolidate large amounts of patient data or to help analyse medical images, helping evaluate and optimise engineering designs to improve building safety, and to enable cost savings in the provision of legal services.
The paper also listed concerns around AI such as: the generation of deepfakes to influence democratic processes, the creation of misinformation and disinformation and encouraging people to self-harm.