Comment

Comment on A generation taught not to think: AI in the classroom

We need to be able to distinguish between giving kids a chance to learn how to use AI, and replacing their whole education with AI.

Right under this story in my feed is the one about the CEO who fired 80% of his staff because they didn’t switch over to AI fast enough. That’s the world these kids are being prepared for.

I would rather they get some exposure to AI in the classroom where a teacher can be present and do some contextualizing. Kids are going to find AI either way. My kids have gotten reasonable contextualizing of other things at school, like not to trust Google blindly and not to cite awikipedia as a source. Schools aren’t always great with new technology but they aren’t always terrible either.

This is an alarmist post. AIs benefits to education are far from proven. But it’s definitely high time for ~~kids~~ everyone to get some education about it at least.

source

Sort:hotnew top

TubularTittyFrog@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
ai companies don’t care about kids learning.

source
- scarabic@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Soy sauce is made from fermented soybeans.
  
  source
Disillusionist@piefed.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I do agree with your point that we need to educate people on how to use AI in responsible ways. You also mention the cautious approach taken by your kids school, which sounds commendable.

As far as the idea of preparing kids for an AI future in which employers might fire AI illiterate staff, this sounds to me more like a problem of preparing people to enter the workforce, which is generally what college and vocational courses are meant to handle. I doubt many of us would have any issue if they had approached AI education this way. This is very different than the current move to include it broadly in virtually all classrooms without consistent guidelines.

(I believe I read the same post about the CEO, BTW. It sounds like the CEO’s claim may likely have been AI-washing, misrepresenting the actual reason for firing them.)

source
- scarabic@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  I agree with you that education is not primarily workforce training. I just included that note as a bit of context because it definitely made me chuckle to see these two posts right together: each painting a completely different picture of AI: “so important you must embrace it or you will die” versus “what the hell is this shit keep it away from children.”
  
  I fall in between somewhere. We should be very cautious with AI and judicious in its use.
  
  I just think that “cautious and judicious” means having it in schools - not keeping it out of schools. Toddler daycares should be angelic safe spaces where kids are utterly protected. Schools should actually have challenging material that demands critical thinking.
  
  source