Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied): Sir, I note that the Minister shared how schools are using generative AI in the instruction of their students, has there been any change in the stance of MOE on the use of generative AI for graded school work and assignment submissions?
Secondly, do schools specifically teach all students on how to prompt generative AI models, since this is fast becoming a key skill for the workplace?
Mr Chan Chun Sing: Mr Speaker, Sir, the short answer is that it depends on which level of exposure we give to the students. In the various examples I have highlighted just now, for example, at the primary school level, many of the things that we do are for exposure purposes, for the students to learn how to be a smart user.
We do not necessarily use it for assessment at all levels. But if I may give an example, at a higher level, the module at Temasek Polytechnic which they demonstrated to me, the students used generative AI as part of their coursework. When they use the generative AI coupled with the interior design course, what they figure out very quickly are two things. First, with AI, they can refine the designs very quickly, using perhaps half the time that they used, using the previous method. But the second thing that they have also learnt, and very importantly, is how to sharpen, as the Member said, the prompt required in order to start the whole process. If the prompts are not well-crafted, then, you could be doing things very fast, but not necessarily down the correct path.
This is what we mean by age-appropriate lessons. At a certain level, you can apply AI and sharpen the skills necessary at that level. Different students at different levels learn to use AI at different levels of competencies and sophistication.
Ministry of Education
9 January 2024
https://sprs.parl.gov.sg/search/#/sprs3topic?reportid=oral-answer-3393
Office of the Leader of the Opposition 