"We have to learn to work with such systems": Students' Perceptions of ChatGPT After a Short Educational Intervention on NLP

Natural Language Processing (NLP) is a critical area of AI that is increasingly integrated into everyday life. The public regularly engages with systems such as Siri, Alexa, and more recently, ChatGPT, yet few understand how these systems work. In this paper, we examine how students perceive NLP technologies after completing a unit on NLP within an AI course designed for non-CS majors. We further present our students' perspectives on the banning of ChatGPT in Italy, where the course was delivered. The NLP unit featured a lecture, an interactive session, and a practical assignment wherein students developed a smart assistant responsive to textual commands. Students, after creating their smart assistants, highlighted challenges such as inadequate training datasets and natural language ambiguity. Opinions on ChatGPT's ban varied, with privacy concerns prevailing. However, a consensus emerged in favor of educational efforts to raise awareness about technology limitations, advocating understanding over outright bans in anticipation of their inevitable integration into daily life.