I would say that implementation of AI into school will have a detrimental effect towards the cognitive development of kids in particular. Imagine feeding them just half baked truths can do a child's brain? They will not be able to function correctly as grown-ups. 😯
Yes! This is a double edged sword. If I want an answer to my hard question right now. I get it instantly and easily. But in that easy, I miss all the tangential information that gives it meaning and substance. The depth. And the details are important!
100% agree. There is already a generation that accept the first result in a google search - they know a broad range of topics with very little depth. AI seems like it will create even less depth of knowledge. True learning needs friction for it to pass from short term to long term memory, AI isn't giving that 😅
I don't think we have been teaching kids the wrong skills for 200 years. I think we just forgot to update the skillset to match the needs the world has for people.
I don't know why everyone is so opposed to updating the education system. It seems like it's time, but there's such a strong hold on keeping it exactly how it is.
That's something I don't understand. Despite the fact that good education is essential for a functioning society, we treat it like a low-priority task that we can keep in the backlog forever.
I gave a short presentation at a marketing agency the other day and invited the attendees to read five short passages and vote on whether or not they were written by AI. Nobody guessed that they were ALL written by AI. 😆
Agree that teaching kids to think critically about AI and question its outputs will be a lot more productive than fixating on whether or not writing “sounds” like AI!
I feel like my number 1 takeaway is that home schooling and/or private school just got a lot more valuable.
The current make up of massive class sizes just don’t work when you need authentic conversations with critical thinking instead of “verification”.
I think your read on needing more teachers is very prescient. Barring supply of teachers growing maybe some sort of managed AI tutor comes on the scene?
Such a great post! Students need to develop their judgment and discernment to navigate a world where AI is deeply integrated into almost everything. The current approach to teaching just doesn't do that. The better students get at evaluating AI's reasoning and its outputs, the more prepared they'll be for the real world.
Very good FAQ. I would say all are important and the solution is always a mix of everything. If there were a one-size-fits-all that would be regulation+education together. There’s a very interesting story about how Switzerland introduced selective waste management some 40 years ago, I’ll write about it in this Sunday’s edition of the Integrator.
Appreciate it! I think you’re right. Regulation is needed to make sure. Companies do the right thing, and education is needed shonthatbpeople understand the issues.
Well if you have the genie in the bottle and the users only ask of it stupid questions its the equivalent of having 100Mbps to play MS Solitaire. But hey maybe non conformity to repetitive learning systems is the key to unlocking the actual matrix of what is real and what is not. Informations is just stuff. Wisdom is something a computer can not spit out. But yeh great article its mind bending the pace at which the quantum computers are now going at the same speed as reality... now thats mind bending.
Another great read, Tox! This line really stood out - "the actual crisis is that a generation is learning to prioritise the appearance of authenticity over the real thing." Ooof! We won't want to know these people on the street, can you imagine what kind of society this could create after years of it?!
Thank you Dallas! I think you nailed it! It’s really one of the drivers for the article. I’m wondering the same thing. How is a generation of kids using chatbots going to behave in the 20s?
Side note I’m really glad I finished school right as these were coming out. It was hard but I wouldn’t have had the self discipline not use them!
Do you have online school exams where you are? In NZ, more and more high school exams are moving completely online. The computers are really locked down but a friend who manages the exam process for a high school says the first thing kids do is try to crack the system. It wouldn't take much I imagine for a kid to go in with a pre-prepped code and have ChatGPT at the ready for the exam? Pen and paper need to stay, I reckon (that makes me feel old even though I'm not THAT old 😅).
Great points. All of this is happening as we are going fully online. My wife is working for her undergrad and is fully online. Makes it even harder. And schools don’t have the resources to do locked down browsers monitored for every assignment.
Had a lot of fun researching this one. Inspired by some posts I was reading here.
How is the next generation dealing with AI before they are even done learning?
I would say that implementation of AI into school will have a detrimental effect towards the cognitive development of kids in particular. Imagine feeding them just half baked truths can do a child's brain? They will not be able to function correctly as grown-ups. 😯
Yeah. And critical thinking will suffer. Working hard of a math problem does teach a lot more than just how to do the problem.
Most definitely it will hurt in the long run.
Absolutely. I legit wonder what we will have 10 years from now. A whole generation of kids that operate from this environment.
Yes! This is a double edged sword. If I want an answer to my hard question right now. I get it instantly and easily. But in that easy, I miss all the tangential information that gives it meaning and substance. The depth. And the details are important!
100% agree. There is already a generation that accept the first result in a google search - they know a broad range of topics with very little depth. AI seems like it will create even less depth of knowledge. True learning needs friction for it to pass from short term to long term memory, AI isn't giving that 😅
I don't think we have been teaching kids the wrong skills for 200 years. I think we just forgot to update the skillset to match the needs the world has for people.
And for some reason, nobody wants to hear that.
I don't know why everyone is so opposed to updating the education system. It seems like it's time, but there's such a strong hold on keeping it exactly how it is.
That's something I don't understand. Despite the fact that good education is essential for a functioning society, we treat it like a low-priority task that we can keep in the backlog forever.
I think it's going to compound the AI dependency problem. If I had to list 3 top worries on AI, 1 of them is definitely this hah.
For sure. But it seems to me that AI often just reveals problems that have been around forever!
💯 🔥
Blindly memorizing facts was obsolete even before AI came up. So, I can only agree with you!
Yeah probably my least favorite aspect of school. Everyone knew people memorized to prepare for a test then forgot it. So why are we doing that?!
I don’t know. I hated it all those years. So many hours wasted on things I couldn’t recall 2 weeks after the test.
I gave a short presentation at a marketing agency the other day and invited the attendees to read five short passages and vote on whether or not they were written by AI. Nobody guessed that they were ALL written by AI. 😆
Agree that teaching kids to think critically about AI and question its outputs will be a lot more productive than fixating on whether or not writing “sounds” like AI!
Side note, I love that kind of messaging because the moment of realization hits hard.
Thx for the read and anecdote!!
I feel like my number 1 takeaway is that home schooling and/or private school just got a lot more valuable.
The current make up of massive class sizes just don’t work when you need authentic conversations with critical thinking instead of “verification”.
I think your read on needing more teachers is very prescient. Barring supply of teachers growing maybe some sort of managed AI tutor comes on the scene?
Great point! I don’t think 1-30 teacher to AI-Powered students will cut it anymore!
Such a great post! Students need to develop their judgment and discernment to navigate a world where AI is deeply integrated into almost everything. The current approach to teaching just doesn't do that. The better students get at evaluating AI's reasoning and its outputs, the more prepared they'll be for the real world.
Really appreciate that!
I agree, judgement, critical thinking and the ability to discern are crucial!
I do wonder how we are teaching these skills now. Thanks Priank!
Very good FAQ. I would say all are important and the solution is always a mix of everything. If there were a one-size-fits-all that would be regulation+education together. There’s a very interesting story about how Switzerland introduced selective waste management some 40 years ago, I’ll write about it in this Sunday’s edition of the Integrator.
Appreciate it! I think you’re right. Regulation is needed to make sure. Companies do the right thing, and education is needed shonthatbpeople understand the issues.
I will f ollow up on Sundays edition!
Absolutely 👌🏻
Well if you have the genie in the bottle and the users only ask of it stupid questions its the equivalent of having 100Mbps to play MS Solitaire. But hey maybe non conformity to repetitive learning systems is the key to unlocking the actual matrix of what is real and what is not. Informations is just stuff. Wisdom is something a computer can not spit out. But yeh great article its mind bending the pace at which the quantum computers are now going at the same speed as reality... now thats mind bending.
Hahaah great analogy lol. I feel like I’m struggling just to keep up with this years pace of things. Appreciate you taking the time to read.
Another great read, Tox! This line really stood out - "the actual crisis is that a generation is learning to prioritise the appearance of authenticity over the real thing." Ooof! We won't want to know these people on the street, can you imagine what kind of society this could create after years of it?!
Thank you Dallas! I think you nailed it! It’s really one of the drivers for the article. I’m wondering the same thing. How is a generation of kids using chatbots going to behave in the 20s?
Side note I’m really glad I finished school right as these were coming out. It was hard but I wouldn’t have had the self discipline not use them!
I was a plagiarism officer ages ago as part of my role at a university. That task would be even more stupidly mind-numbingly ridiculous now!
Oh god I can’t imagine what they are doing. Especially with all the advice Substack gives people.
I think basically we change it. You, in person have 2 hours to write x.
it won’t be as long or meaningful, but there just is no way to tell these days. Let alone 5 more years of getting better at this.
Do you have online school exams where you are? In NZ, more and more high school exams are moving completely online. The computers are really locked down but a friend who manages the exam process for a high school says the first thing kids do is try to crack the system. It wouldn't take much I imagine for a kid to go in with a pre-prepped code and have ChatGPT at the ready for the exam? Pen and paper need to stay, I reckon (that makes me feel old even though I'm not THAT old 😅).
Great points. All of this is happening as we are going fully online. My wife is working for her undergrad and is fully online. Makes it even harder. And schools don’t have the resources to do locked down browsers monitored for every assignment.