AI may disrupt math and computer science classes. Is there an upside?

For as long as Jake Price has been a teacher, Wolfram Alpha – a website that solves algebraic problems online – has threatened to make algebra homework obsolete. 

Teachers learned to work around and with it, says Dr. Price, assistant professor of mathematics and computer science at the University of Puget Sound. But now, they have a new homework helper to contend with: generative artificial intelligence tools, such as ChatGPT.

Professor Price doesn’t see ChatGPT as a threat, and he’s not alone. Some math professors believe AI, when used correctly, could help strengthen math instruction. And it’s arriving on the scene at…