Ask HN: How do you think AI will change education?
I'm from Alaska, which has fallen to 49th place in national testing scores. In some ways I feel like I barely made it out of that educational system, and as a technologist I have pondered how AI might create some positive change.
Its a bit of a touchy subject it would seem, as from a few discussions I have had with my former teachers, it sounds like ChatGPT has created more problems than it has solved, thus far. Further, many of the problems are not obviously tractable (things like problematic home life, short attention spans). More optimistically, I have heard that teachers' busywork might stand to be expedited by AI.
In any case, I am doing some research into the space and hoping to find others who are interested or passionate about improving education quality, so if anyone has anecdotes or first-hand experience, I'd love to hear.
1-Education can be individualized for each student.
2-Students can pursue what they want to learn.
3-Teachers can guide students on where to find educational materials.
4-Teachers can assess students to ensure they are learning, especially in the core curriculum.
5-Schools will shrink in size since special curriculums will be cheap to produce and won't require a large student body to justify cost.
6-Parents will choose schools for their children that align more closely with their core beliefs.
The short-sighted benefits are just too overwhelming that even for students who arguably have skin in the education game (most do not and merely are there for credentialing) , it is a difficult battle - akin to the generation(s) who recognize that the type and amount of their social media use is problematic but react with resignation.
There is a difference between 'knowing' and 'doing things' - the consequences of AI are different across these.
Some other thoughts:
- I do not think there are any viable solutions to the AI 'problem' in education given the current structure of higher education.
- The affordances, the motivations and practical, if not overt, purpose of 'education' cannot meet AI head on.
- A stronger more explicit distinction needs to be (re-)drawn between what used to be 'vocational' and 'liberal' or 'higher' education. And a narrowing of the purpose of higher education (which would, in itself, be very disruptive)
- There needs to be an explicit addressing of AI in both curricula -- in terms of both practical training on its use as well as the pitfalls and downsides-- in terms of self-interest (e.g. if you have machines do the work to set you 'free' then you run the risk of becoming slaves to the people who make the machines (paraphrased Dune).
- Complete change in approach and most importantly assessment -- I am not sure this can be done in a system where grades are still the litmus test for learning.
- This educational crisis has to be addresssed BEFORE college- otherwise it is probably too late.
- how do you think assessment would change? As someone who didn't prioritize standardized tests bc my parents thought they were dumb, I was almost optimistic that very advanced AI systems could make assessment obsolete. If the AI is constantly watching out you pick up things and how often you need help, then the assessment is embedded.
- I am older Gen Z, and I definitely struggle with social media use. But I also would say I had a ton of skin in the education game. To this point, I think even with great AI, we'll just see further stratification. If someone wants to learn something, genuinely, then they will learn that thing. I don't think AI changes that.
Maybe not soon, but sooner than if you’d asked me 5 years ago.
https://www.amazon.com/Diamond-Age-Illustrated-Primer-Spectr...