From ChatGPT to China’ Sci-Tech: Implications for Chinese Higher Education

Abstract

Abstract The advent of transformative technologies, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, a natural language processing tool, significantly impacts the future of education, society, and the economy. Drawing on the theory of knowledge socialism and public goods, this paper critically examines the potential impact of ChatGPT in the context of China’s high-tech development and higher education. We believe these technologies resonate with the principles of knowledge socialism by promoting decentralization, openness, and collective intelligence and are poised to reshape the education sector and beyond. The non-competitive and non-exclusive nature of ChatGPT makes it a public good with significant social benefits. In the educational domain, it has the potential to revolutionize teaching and learning by providing students with convenient, personalized learning experiences, real-time feedback, and multilingual support. However, despite its benefits, educators, and users must work to overcome its limitations, such as limited expertise, language understanding, reasoning skills, and potential risks associated with privacy, security, and misinformation. This article discusses the need to prepare students for a future heavily impacted by ai, which requires a reassessment of digital literacy and competencies. Doing so would require leveraging ai tools and promoting human-centered approaches, developing higher-order thinking skills, emphasizing emotional education, and teaching academic ethics. In addition, introducing ai tools like ChatGPT in higher education requires regulation to prevent plagiarism and improve independent problem-solving. This paper further explores the impact of ChatGPT on China’s technological development. The global attention attracted by ChatGPT has stimulated the growth of the ai industry and prompted the emergence of domestic products and applications in countries such as China. It is critical to harmonize the enforcement of competition laws and capitalize on the contributions of sizable enterprises in the realm of technological innovation and research.