Is AI a gift to education?
This Forbes article posits that "The World of ChatGPT requires smart Alladins over hardworking Genies". "As we welcome the era of AI and large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, the world needs more Aladdins with excellent question-asking abilities in order to work with these new genies. …. The truth is, even with the advances in AI, human creativity and ingenious question-asking abilities will be the prevailing force in embracing and benefiting from this technology. …Enter the curious-minded, the question-askers and the creative idealists. These individuals approach the AI genie not with demands for completed tasks but with pertinent questions that trigger a harmonious partnership between human insight and machine ingenuity. They know how to efficiently extract ideas and answers from their AI companions."
"Imagine you're trying to invent an innovative spicy dessert. Instead of uttering the command, "Make me the best sriracha ice cream," a true Aladdin would cleverly inquire, "What are the best possible flavor combinations that would accentuate the piquancy of sriracha while delighting the senses?" This smart approach creates a synergy between AI and human imagination, taking us to "a whole new world."
The AI-era brings us back this age-old question -- how can education unleash curiosity, creativity, problem solving? I'll add -- Will AI be the tool that empowers educators and students to realize the ultimate goal of education -- to bring forth that which lies within each learner?
Does elevate the possibility for every learner to be uniquely themselves? Is AI a gift to education?
And if it is, what is its role in education? What if an AI chatbot could be in "yoda" mode and not a just a "genie"? Like a trusted companion, and a best friend, what if using the tool could help you think, plan, decide, learn to ask better questions but at no point does the tool just do the work for you? Could every student have a personalized coaching tool -- more than a tutor to get through a task, a concept, an assignment -- a coaching tool that helped you discover and achieve your goals? Could it expand classroom capacity, be every educator's trusted, trained teaching assistant who personalized learning following instructions from the educator? What does this mean for educators? Do they get to live out all the reasons why they chose to become educators?