There have been a lot of talks and debates around setting ethical guardrails for the development of AI systems in order for us to not lose control of it while we figure out the whole ethics and limits of it, but how about preparation? Is the government worried enough about having the next generation ready for a society where AI and other emerging technologies are a bigger part of human life and affect everyone’s daily lives? Will our children survive while competing with robots for jobs?
To better understand what is about to come, we need to understand what has already happened in the past. Let’s look back at the DOTCOM revolution in the early 2000s. Computers back then were expensive things that only the rich and affluent could afford, but as things started to shift and the middle class started upgrading their lifestyles, computers became a part of everyone’s daily lives, but not much was known about them back then by the masses. In its early days, the internet was a lawless land. You could easily find child pornography online, buy drugs, download pirated movies and songs, etc. There was not much oversight, let alone education on computers and the internet.
Guardrails for AI systems have been at the forefront early this month due to the rapid advancements in their technologies, but it leaves an open question for parents all around the world about the impact of AI and the future of our children.
The world has stepped up to gain control back over technology, but what are schools and the government doing in order to educate future generations on the same technology that might put them out of jobs in the near future?
According to experts, the government should be updating its curriculum on a yearly basis and offering additional education for school teachers on emerging subjects so they can teach them to the pupils later. As everything is new for everyone, the teachers’s responsibility should be to seek additional education on those subjects as well in order to be ready for the curriculum changes in the future.
As exciting as technologies are, they carry a lot of dangers and risks if guardrails and education are not in sync with their advancements.
Research from education company Pearson suggests while AI will touch all corners of the economy, office and administrative jobs will be among those most impacted.
Repetitive tasks like scheduling appointments or answering and directing calls could easily be done by AI, it said.
Ms Adamson said before long, “everything from marketing to law is going to require pretty strong knowledge of generative AI” and schools have to keep up.
Earlier this year, headteachers warned large language systems like OpenAI’s ChatGPT were developing “too quickly” and guidance on how classrooms should adapt wasn’t keeping up.
These models are trained on huge amounts of data, so they can understand and respond to prompts.
They have generated everything from convincing essays to speeches, and some schools and universities in other countries have already banned them.
The Department for Education acknowledged the need for students to be taught how to use AI “safely and appropriately” in an updated policy paper last month.
Futurescool’s CEO Tea Sankovic agrees AI education must come to classrooms worldwide as soon as possible. “It’s vital that the curriculums are properly updated to educate the children on artificial intelligence, Metaverse, CHATGPT and other emerging technologies. They need to teach the children about it’s dangers, risks and the possibilities they have if they are able to use it themselves”, said Tea.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to revolutionize teaching and learning as we know it. By using AI-powered tools and strategies, educators can personalize learning, improve student outcomes, and better prepare students for success in the digital age.
I typically talk about what the most common college application essay topics are, but this year I made ChatGPT write those essays! We’ll talk about what the AI did well and didn’t do well and ways they could use it to help them with their college application process: Make a list of the application deadlines and required essays or a schedule of when all the application materials are due. — Patricia Monticello Kievlan, Educator
