A Conversation with ChatGPT: Philosophy, Critical Thinking, and Higher Education

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The growing concern surrounding technology in education, particularly in higher education, serves as the impetus for this paper. After a period of avoiding ChatGPT due to fears that it might diminish my human form, I felt compelled to engage in a conversation with the tool, in light of the conference hosted by the Philosophers of Education Association of Nigeria (PEAN), themed “Philosophy, Artificial Intelligence, and Digital Education.” Through my exploration, I learned that “GPT” stands for generative pre-training transformer, a framework in language processing and machine learning designed to produce human-like responses to various prompts. Recognizing the reality of coexisting with artificial intelligence (AI) and acknowledging that not all emerging technologies merit the attention of philosophers, the rise of ChatGPT has undeniably become a pressing issue in higher education, particularly for faculty and students alike. In my discussions with ChatGPT-4, I engage with the role of AI in higher education, focusing on questions relevant to philosophy, critical thinking, and academic practices. By reflecting on the prompts from ChatGPT and the insights of educational theorists, I conclude that critical thinking and reasoning are intrinsic human qualities that set us apart from AI. Therefore, educators need to embrace their role in guiding student learning and fostering the virtues and skills necessary for navigating an increasingly AI-driven world.