Does Generative Artificial Intelligence render the Debate-Based Teaching Methodology Obsolete?
Keywords:
Generative Artificial Intelligence, Competitive Debate, Cognitive Artifacts, Critical Thinking, Educational InnovationAbstract
This article investigates whether generative artificial intelligence (AI), exemplified by tools like ChatGPT, renders the debate methodology obsolete. It explores the educational sector’s responses, from initial resistance to strategic adoption, and the profound impact on competitive debate. While AI enhances preparation through tools and iterative prompting strategies, the study emphasises the preservation of uniquely human tasks, such as rhetorical skill, critical reflection, and ethical reasoning. Introducing concepts like "bundles of tasks" and "cognitive artifacts," it argues for the integration of AI as a complement rather than a substitute. The analysis underscores the need for balanced policies and critical literacy to harmonise technological innovation with the enduring value of creativity, collaboration, and autonomy in debate. Far from obsolescence, debate evolves into a dynamic framework blending human and artificial intelligence.
References
Akerman, R., & Neale, I. (2011). Debating the evidence: An international review of current situation and perceptions. CfBT Education Trust in association with the English-Speaking Union.
Baidoo-Anu, D., & Ansah, S. O. (2023). Education in the Era of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI): Understanding the Potential Benefits of ChatGPT in Promoting Teaching and Learning. Journal of AI, 7(1), 52–62. https://doi.org/10.61969/jai.1337500
Banks, D. C. (2023, May 18). ChatGPT caught NYC schools off guard. Now, we’re determined to embrace its potential. Chalkbeat. https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2023/5/18/23727942/chatgpt-nyc-schools-david-banks/
Baum, J., & Villasenor, J. (2023, May 8). The politics of AI: ChatGPT and political bias. Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-politics-of-ai-chatgpt-and-political-bias/
Bulathwela, S., Pérez-Ortiz, M., Holloway, C., & Shawe-Taylor, J. (2021). Could AI democratise education? Socio-technical imaginaries of an EdTech revolution. arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2112.02034
Carroll, M. (2024, August 31). UK’s first ‘teacherless’ AI classroom set to open in London. Sky News. https://news.sky.com/story/uks-first-teacherless-ai-classroom-set-to-open-in-london-13200637
Cassinadri, G. (2024). ChatGPT and the technology-education tension: Applying contextual virtue epistemology to a cognitive artifact. Philosophy and Technology, 37(14), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13347-024-00701-7
Cressey, D. (2021, April 1). Am I arguing with a machine? AI debaters highlight need for transparency. Nature. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00867-6
DebateUS.org. (n.d.). How to write a PF debate case with AI in 30 minutes or less (and what to do with the saved time). https://debateus.org/how-to-write-a-pf-debate-case-with-ai-in-30-minutes-or-less-and-what-to-do-with-the-saved-time/
De Conti, M., & Giangrande, M. (2018). Debate. Teoria, pratica, pedagogia. Pearson.
Elstad, E. (2024). AI in education: Rationale, principles, and instructional implications. arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2412.12116
Findlay, G., Marshall, W., Albantakis, L., David, I., Mayner, W. G. P., Koch, C., & Tononi, G. (2024). Dissociating artificial intelligence from artificial consciousness. arXiv preprint arXiv:2412.04571. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2412.04571
Giangrande, M. (2024, April 3). Nuove frontiere della ricerca nel Debate. [Presentation for the Rete Wedebate]. https://www.sn-di.it/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Nuove-frontiere-della-ricerca-nel-Debate.pdf
Harvard University. (2023). Artificial intelligence courses. https://pll.harvard.edu/subject/artificial-intelligence?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Henriksen, D., Woo, L. J., & Mishra, P. (2023). Creative uses of ChatGPT for education: A conversation with Ethan Mollick. TechTrends, 67(4), 595–600. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-023-00862-w
Herman, D. (2022, December 9). The end of high-school English. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2022/12/openai-chatgpt-writing-high-school-english-essay/672412/
Hern, A. (2022, December 4). AI bot ChatGPT stuns academics with essay-writing skills and usability. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/dec/04/ai-bot-chatgpt-stuns-academics-with-essay-writing-skills-and-usability
Holmes, W., Bialik, M., & Fadel, C. (2021). Artificial intelligence in education: Addressing ethical challenges in education. AI and Ethics, 1(2), 123–134. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43681-021-00096-7
IBM Research. (2018). IBM debating technologies. https://research.ibm.com/haifa/dept/vst/debater.shtml
Ifenthaler, D., Majumdar, R., Gorissen, P., Judge, M., Mishra, S., Raffaghelli, J., & Shimada, A. (2024). Artificial intelligence in education: Implications for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners. Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 29(4), 1693–1710. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-024-09747-0
INVALSI. (2022). Indagine internazionale OCSE PISA 2022: I risultati degli studenti italiani in matematica, scienze e lettura. FrancoAngeli.
Karpathy, A. (2024, July 16). Introducing Eureka Labs. https://eurekalabs.ai/
King, M., & ChatGPT. (2023). Why teachers should explore ChatGPT’s potential. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-03505-5
Kumar, S., Verma, A. K., & Mirza, A. (2024). Digital revolution, artificial intelligence, and ethical challenges. In Digital transformation, artificial intelligence and society (pp. 161–177). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-5656-8_11
Microsoft. (2024, September 17). BlackRock, Global Infrastructure Partners, Microsoft, and MGX launch new AI partnership to invest in data centres and supporting power infrastructure. Microsoft News Center. https://news.microsoft.com/2024/09/17/blackrock-global-infrastructure-partners-microsoft-and-mgx-launch-new-ai-partnership-to-invest-in-data-centers-and-supporting-power-infrastructure/
MIT News. (2024, August 27). First AI + Education summit is an international push for ‘AI fluency’. https://news.mit.edu/2024/first-ai-education-summit-0827
Mollick, E. (2024). Co-intelligence: Living and working with AI. Penguin Random House.
Mollick, E., & Mollick, L. (2023). Assigning AI: Seven approaches for students, with prompts. arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2306.10052
OpenAI. (2024). Learning to reason with LLMs. OpenAI Blog. https://openai.com/index/learning-to-reason-with-llms/
Ott, M. (2023, May 2). Chegg’s stock plunges on fears of competition from ChatGPT. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/chegg-stock-shares-chatgpt-ai-a877423bd4a8f67b1494363fc81cf52a
Roy, R. (2023, September 8). Artificial, but not exactly intelligent: AI in debate & NSDA regulations. Ethos Debate. https://www.ethosdebate.com/guest-post-artificial-but-not-exactly-intelligent-ai-in-debate-nsda-regulations-by-rik-roy/
Singer, N. (2023, August 24). Despite cheating fears, schools repeal ChatGPT bans. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/24/business/schools-chatgpt-chatbot-bans.html
Sutskever, I. [@ilyasut]. (2023, October 6). if you value intelligence above all other human qualities, you’re gonna have a bad time [Tweet]. X. https://x.com/ilyasut/status/1710462485411561808
Vosberg, S. (2024). The potential impact of artificial intelligence on equity and inclusion in education (OECD Education Working Papers, No. 23). OECD Publishing. https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/the-potential-impact-of-artificial-intelligence-on-equity-and-inclusion-in-education_15df715b-en.html
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Matteo Giangrande
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Formazione & insegnamento is distributed under Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
For further details, please refer to our Repository & Archiving Policy, as well as our Copyright & Licensing Terms.
