The new AI browser described by Perplexity AI, the Comet AI browser, got a controversial trial in the online world on this occasion when one of its test clients allegedly enrolled in a full fledged Coursera course employing the newly introduced device.
The strange event attracted the attention of Aravind Srinivas, the CEO of Perplexity who posted a very firm warning publicly to the users, claiming that AI tools are not to be used for homework.
The Rise to popularity of Comet AI takes a controversial turn
Reportedly, a user was able to complete a course at Coursera by using Comet AI, the browser that emerged to gain a more intelligent insight into the web through offering a concise recommendation and instantaneous contextual resolution.
The tool is a combination of searching and real time reasoning and enables the user to have interactions with the internet in a more efficient way.
Nevertheless, the social post was spreading like a wildfire, when a user demonstrated the ability of Comet AI to respond to complex questions and generate solutions, which is automated and allows the artificial intelligence to take up the whole online course on the user behalf.
Although some people were intrigued by it, scary ethical considerations of AI misuse also appeared in the field.
Soon after this, Aravind Srinivas came to social media to clarify that Comet AI was not meant to fight academic dishonesty or automate coursework.
He said, Do not use Comet AI to work at your assignments or exams. The idea behind AI is not to take over from learning, only to help it.
Scientific responsibility and the Education Issue
Srinivas asserted that when industrialized AIs are not applied there can be evil ramifications on both students and schools.
Since AI applications, such as Comet, ChatGPT, and Gemini are still developing, they become an effective aid in researching, summarizing, and making ideas.
However, their application in circumventing the real learning is defiance to the aim of learning.
The incident has sparked the debate on the use of generative AI responsible in classrooms and e-learning platforms once again.
Even education analysts caution that although AI has the potential to enhance knowledge related to the subject, excessive utilization of it might result in knowledge deficiencies among learners.
One of the most popular online learning systems in the world, Coursera, does not yield incentives of automation or reliance of external resources to finish assessments.
Although the company had not made any official statements regarding the situation at hand, their policies of course specifically forbid cheating or manipulation of course materials using third party tools not mentioned.
Nevertheless, in spite of the scandal, its advanced ability to provide capabilities in productivity, research and sophisticated web interactions are still praised by its users.
A Wake-Up Call for AI Ethics
The episode is an insight that there is a thin line to either innovation or to abuse.
Both AI developers and educators have been encouraged to collaborate and define a better framework about what can be considered ethical AI usage in the academic context.
The same message conveyed by Perplexity as the Srinivas believes that the presence of AI in life must empower man, rather than eliminate their ability to do so.
