AI Readings

One of our professional learning themes next school year will be the impact of Artificial Intelligence in K-12 international schools. I am trying to read as much as I can this summer. I use Chat GPTo almost every day and appreciate it editing my writing and helping me make sense of a lot of data and information.

Watercolors by Emma Larsson for *Harper’s Magazine.* Larsson’s watercolors are responses to poems featured in this essay. This watercolor is a response to the AI continuation of Emily Dickinson’s poem. All paintings © The artist. Courtesy the artist and Simard Bilodeau Contemporary, Los Angeles

“Metal Machine Music: Can AI Think Creatively? Can We?” Laura Dubreuil Harper’s Magazine, July 2024

This article discusses the capabilities and limitations of AI in creative processes. Large Language Models (LLM) can figure out the patterns of language, grammar, and writing to produce solid, even really good writing. If everyone relies on AI to complete their essays, blog posts, school assignments, etc. Dubreuil sees a homogenization of writing. She also thinks AI is great at figuring out patterns and has a lot of source material to draw from but it is not as truly creative as the human mind. For K-12 international school leaders, the essay offers several insights:

Students risk an over-reliance on AI for creative tasks and they have to figure out ways to use it to enhance their creativity.
Students need to be skeptical when evaluating AI-generated information. They need to think critically when using it.
Teachers should encourage original thinking and provide opportunities for students to do so.
We as a school need to discuss the ethical use of AI. Maintain the most important part of the creative process is the teacher-student and student-student interactions.

The Future of Education in a World of AI Ethan Mollick

Dr. Mollick is a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. One of his research interests is AI and he is optimistic about humans using AI. I placed a hold on his book, “Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI” Mollick compares AI to the introduction of calculators in schools in the mid-1970s. Initial resistance is followed by integration until a consensus is reached.

We’ll find a practical consensus that will allow AI to be integrated into the learning process without compromising the development of critical skills. Just as calculators did not replace the need for learning math, AI will not replace the need for learning to write and think critically. It may take awhile to sort it out, but we will do so.

Ethan Mollick

I already use Chat GPT to help me understand what I am reading and give me context and background to ideas and topics I encounter. AI Tutors will be used by all students, although it will never replace the human teacher-student relationship. Mollick sees the lecture/assignment model of education fading away as schools need to discover ways for students to become “active learners” in the age of AI.