The Artificial Intelligence (AI) community has been in a hyperactive mode in the last few weeks with the introduction of DeepSeek, the Chinese AI platform that is said to be far more efficient than the ubiquitous ChatGPT, the previous favourite.
The reason why DeepSeek took over the world by storm is because it is an open source LLM (Large Language Model) which is faster and cheaper to train. According to Reuters, Deepseek took just $6 million and two months to build. It was also the most popular app to be downloaded on Apple devices in January.
All of this has made educators think about the implications of using AI models in education once again. Just as the meteoric popularity of ChatGPT made educational institutions scramble to provide guidelines and train teachers on the ethical uses of AI, newer models are going to make teachers re-evaluate these platforms.
On the positive side, the economics of DeepSeek has been seen to be an advantage for educational institutions with smaller budgets, thus ensuring equity and participation. DeepSeek creates new information at record time and is effective in reasoning, generating code and solving sophisticated mathematical equations.
Conversely, this new AI platform uses a style which is less conversational and interactive. It fares better in the reasoning criteria and less so when latest, real time data is asked for.
Educators need to be aware of these differences when using AI platforms as their use will be popular with students. As with other AI platforms, DeepSeek can be used by students for research as it can efficiently use advanced algorithms to scan databases and online journals. This saves student’s time while giving sufficiently reliable information. DeepSeek also aids in personalised education by analysing individual study habits and giving practice study questions. Other features like notes organisation and deadline tracking also helps students organise their work and keep track of all deadlines.
Educators will find it very challenging to decide on the extent and type of AI use which will be allowed by them. If the opportunities in the use of AI are varied, so are the challenges. Ideally, AI should be used to retrieve necessary information which is then analysed and applied based on individual experiences, requirements and contexts.
An increasingly prevalent phenomena, however, is the use of AI platforms with little to no input by learners themselves. This defeats the purpose of education which is to teach students to think for themselves. If information is easily retrievable, the focus of education will have to be on other skills. What those could be will be for educators to decide, based on their areas, levels of students and purpose of teaching.
The AI revolution has come quickly and at a pace with which it is difficult to catch up. No sooner do policy makers establish rules about the uses of such platforms, newer ones emerge which require a quick re-examination of existing regulations.
Perhaps the only reality is that AI is here to stay and educators will have to stay alert to all the changes that will transform the field of education in disruptive and creative ways.
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