My father is passionate about calligraphy and has excellent handwriting skills. As I grew up, he was disappointed with my poor handwriting and wished he had trained me in calligraphy. Not only my handwriting disappoints him, but I have also forgotten how to write Chinese characters these days. Whenever I need to send a card, I tend to type the message on my phone and copy it onto the card, or sometimes, I simply write in English. While I've experienced a few awkward situations due to my poor handwriting, it doesn't bother me much. I believe this is a common issue among Chinese of my generation and younger because we rely heavily on Pinyin input methods.

Unlike English, the Chinese language has a vast number of characters that cannot be accommodated on a standard keyboard. Therefore, people have created different input methods to facilitate typing Chinese on computers. The most popular method is based on spelling pronunciations that use the English alphabet, known as Pinyin. Despite the introduction of Pinyin input methods, typing Chinese remained challenging at first. This was because many Chinese characters can share the same pronunciation, and after specifying a pronunciation, one must choose the correct character from several options. However, this is not an issue in vocal conversation for Chinese speakers since, even with homophones, we can easily determine the correct characters based on context.

Over the years, Pinyin input methods have attempted to use the same technique by utilizing context to narrow down the character selection, making typing easier. Today, the most advanced Pinyin input methods can enable users to type an entire sentence with just a few keystrokes, by guessing the correct characters based on context. We can say that Pinyin input methods have gained some degree of intelligence.

For the past four months, I have relied heavily on ChatGPT to correct and enhance my English writing skills. While I consider it to be the best English teacher I've ever had, using it excessively and becoming overly dependent on it has left me feeling uneasy. Will I truly learn and improve my writing abilities with the aid of ChatGPT, or will it spoil me and render me unable to write without assistance? I know that I'm not the only one concerned about this issue. Since its launch, ChatGPT has amassed over 100 million users in a remarkably short period of time, which is unprecedented for any viral product. A significant proportion of its user base comprises students who utilize it for completing their homework. This has caused some schools to worry because ChatGPT has made writing effortlessly accessible.

The concern stems from the fact that writing and effective communication are among the most crucial skills. Surrendering these skills and relying on technology to express ourselves can feel inherently wrong. However, when we examine history, we realize that this is not the first time we have abandoned a survival skill in favor of technological advancements. For instance, in ancient times, calligraphy was deemed so important that it was a requirement for passing the national examination in China. However, today, it does not hold as much significance. Similarly, our hunting and gathering skills have deteriorated over time. The ability to ride a horse is now considered an exotic talent, but no longer deemed essential.

Is it possible for ChatGPT to become the new and advanced Pinyin input method, where we provide our thoughts and ideas, and it converts them into human languages? As someone who has never feared being diminished by computers, keyboards, and input methods, I wonder if I should be concerned about AI this time. If technology deems a skill less important, should it still be a priority in education?