Generative AI and future education: a review, theoretical validation, and authors’ perspective on challenges and solutions

Generative AI (Gen AI), exemplified by ChatGPT, has witnessed a remarkable surge in popularity recently. This cutting-edge technology demonstrates an exceptional ability to produce human-like responses and engage in natural language conversations guided by context-appropriate prompts. However, its integration into education has become a subject of ongoing debate. This review examines the challenges of using Gen AI like ChatGPT in education and offers effective strategies. To retrieve relevant literature, a search of reputable databases was conducted, resulting in the inclusion of twenty-two publications. Using Atlas.ti, the analysis reflected six primary challenges with plagiarism as the most prevalent issue, closely followed by responsibility and accountability challenges. Concerns were also raised about privacy, data protection, safety, and security risks, as well as discrimination and bias. Additionally, there were challenges about the loss of soft skills and the risks of the digital divide. To address these challenges, a number of strategies were identified and subjected to critical evaluation to assess their practicality. Most of them were practical and align with the ethical and pedagogical theories. Within the prevalent concepts, "ChatGPT" emerged as the most frequent one, followed by "AI," "student," "research," and "education," highlighting a growing trend in educational discourse. Moreover, close collaboration was evident among the leading countries, all forming a single cluster, led by the United States. This comprehensive review provides implications, recommendations, and future prospects concerning the use of generative AI in education.