On November 30 2022, OpenAI released ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence-powered chatbot which uses software able to replicate human conversation and with the capability of creating original material from simple or complex prompts.

It seems that there is much discussion about the implications of content creation particularly in the education sector. As information professionals, librarians are concerned mostly with the ethical issues surrounding the use of the technology but in many cases school librarians have responded with curiosity about what it could mean for their profession and in classrooms around the school.

Artificial intelligence can compile a passable, even quite good essays on a given topic, but can it deliver work that is relevant, creative, or nuanced in the manner required by the assessor? The student may, however, make use of natural language processing (NLP) models such as ChatGPT to refine their research investigations. Where once upon a time librarians would instruct students on Boolean searches on the internet, now they are assisting students to create search queries through AI.

• Schools can use ChatGPT in a variety of ways, such as:
• Providing reference assistance
• Providing language assistance for non-native speakers.
• Recommending books and other materials
• ChatGPT can assist students in generating ideas, writing outlines, and proofreading their work.
• Providing digital resources and online tutorials
• Creating interactive learning experiences: ChatGPT can be used to create interactive learning experiences, such as virtual book clubs or author visits.

Most of the debate on these tools' focusses on plagiarism, but unless the purpose of the complex assessment can be adequately conveyed to the software, it is likely not going to be able to present anything that adequately answers the question. So, it seems pertinent to harness this paradigm in a constructive way, shifting the focus from cheating to establishing worthwhile applications of freely available technology. In this way schools can launch a more powerful design for learning that promotes future-ready, tech-savvy learners that are flexible and adaptable.

Whichever way we choose to view the technology and employ or boycott it, it is not going to go away. This is going to be the future.