The article “The New Reality of Education in the Face of Advances in Generative Artificial Intelligence”, by Francisco José García-Peñalvo, Faraón Llorens-Largo, and Javier Vidal, offers a broad and balanced reflection on the impact of generative artificial intelligence on education.
Far from adopting either a technophilic or technophobic stance, the authors argue that tools such as ChatGPT cannot simply be ignored or banned. Instead, they must be understood in terms of their possibilities, limitations, and risks. The text is especially relevant because it frames the emergence of generative AI not as an isolated phenomenon, but as part of a deeper transformation of teaching, learning, and assessment processes.
One of the article’s main contributions is its review of the tools and scientific literature that emerged in the first months following the popularization of ChatGPT. Based on this review, the authors identify important benefits, such as the personalization of learning, the generation of educational materials, support for writing, improved teacher productivity, and the possibility of creating new forms of educational interaction.
However, they also warn of significant risks: incorrect or fabricated responses, a lack of verifiable sources, equity issues, bias, privacy concerns, plagiarism, and the weakening of critical thinking if these technologies are used uncritically.
This review of the article leads to the conclusion that its main value lies in shifting the debate from the question “Should we use generative AI in education?” to a far more urgent one: “How should we transform education in response to this new reality?”
The authors argue that many of the problems now attributed to AI already existed in educational systems, especially in assessment practices and in the relationship with knowledge. For this reason, the challenge is not only to incorporate tools, but to redesign teaching practices, strengthen critical literacy, and prepare students and teachers for an environment in which AI will become a regular part of academic and professional life.
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How to Cite: García Peñalvo, F. J., Llorens-Largo, F., & Vidal, J. (2024). The new reality of education in the face of advances in generative artificial intelligence. RIED-Revista Iberoamericana de Educación a Distancia, 27(1), 9–39. https://doi.org/10.5944/ried.27.1.37716
