Accessibility
Costs
The cost of tools is a barrier for many students in accessing generative AI tools.
Some AI tools offer both free and paid versions of their tool, which could lead to unequal accessibility among students. Those who can afford to pay for the paid version of a tool may have an unfair advantage in assignments that incorporate the use of GenAI.
ChatGPT, for example, has key differences between the free and paid accounts (ChatGPT Plus) that impact accessibility: there's high global demand, but the number of users is limited. Paid account users are often prioritized and have constant access, even during peak hours. Access with the free account is more unpredictable and works best during off-peak hours. The paid version works faster than the free version, especially with longer content, and offers more features. Paid account users get first access to new models, features, and updates.
Furthermore, if students from other countries are learning online, the use of certain GenAI tools may be restricted by government regulation or censorship.
Ethical objections
It's also possible that colleagues or students may have the resources, but have strong ethical objections to the use of AI in their education. These objections are often very valid, as demonstrated in this module. This begs the question: How do you deal with unfairness when others can and will use genAI for their work?