OpenAI has announced the launch of Study Mode, a new feature within ChatGPT that aims to help students develop their critical thinking skills, rather than simply obtain answers to questions.
With Study Mode enabled, ChatGPT will ask users questions to test their understanding, and in some cases, refuse to offer direct answers unless students engage with the material.
OpenAI says Study Mode is rolling out to logged-in users on ChatGPT’s Free, Plus, Pro, and Team plans starting Tuesday.
The company expects to roll out Study Mode to its Edu subscribers, which largely consist of young people whose school administrators have purchased a plan for the entire student body, in the coming weeks.
Study Mode is OpenAI’s attempt to address the millions of students who use ChatGPT in school. Studies have shown that using ChatGPT can be a helpful tutor for young people, but it also may harm their critical thinking skills.
ChatGPT Usage Effects Productivity
A research paper released in June found that people who use ChatGPT to write essays exhibit lower brain activity during the process compared to those who use Google Search or no search engine at all.
When ChatGPT first launched in 2022, its widespread use in school settings sparked fear among educators, leading to generative AI bans in many American school districts.
By 2023, some of those schools repealed their ChatGPT bans, and teachers around the country came to terms with the fact that ChatGPT would be a part of young people’s lives from now on.
Now with the launch of Study Mode, OpenAI hopes to improve ChatGPT as a learning tool, and not just an answer engine. Anthropic launched a similar tool for its AI chatbot Claude, called Learning Mode, in April.
Of course, there are limitations to how effective Study Mode truly is. Students can easily switch into the regular mode of ChatGPT if they just want an answer to a question.
OpenAI’s VP of Education, Leah Belsky, told the media in a briefing that the company is not offering tools for parents or administrators to lock students into Study Mode.
However, Belsky said OpenAI may explore administrative or parental controls in the future. This means it will take a dedicated student to use Study Mode; the kids who want to learn, not just finish their assignment.
OpenAI said that Study Mode was the company’s first step towards enhancing learning in ChatGPT and aims to publish more information in the future about how students use generative AI throughout their education.