AI Is Different From Other Ed Tech. Here’s How (Opinion)

Most posts I publish offer practical advice to educators on various classroom issues.

Today, though, is a little different.

This is a guest post posing a few key questions for teachers to consider as they face the challenge of dealing with artificial intelligence.

‘I Want Educators to Realize Agency’

Jonathan D. Becker, J.D., Ph.D., is an assistant professor of educational leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University whose work lies at the intersection of educational leadership, policy, law, and technology.

I have been in the field of educational technology for two decades. There are always debates and healthy discussions in that space about what’s effective, what’s age appropriate, what’s pedagogically appropriate, etc. But, the dialogue and discussion about AI in education is as polarized as I’ve ever seen. And, really, the AI dialogue goes beyond education; I just mostly see it among those in education (PK-20) because of my position.

What is the debate? On the one hand, you have folks who say that AI changes everything, and we are soon to achieve artificial general intelligence (AGI), which means computers will be able to do most, if not all, of what humans do, and even better.

On the other hand, you have folks who say that AGI can never be achieved, that AI is all hype, the utility of AI is wildly oversold, and the ethical, legal, and environmental issues overwhelmingly weigh against any benefits. I try to position myself as a critical friend of technology in education, but I feel like I get whiplash watching, reading, listening as I learn about AI.

Why the debate (particularly among educators)? It may be a reflection of and the same causes as the overall political polarization in our country right now. I think, though, that the debate is also a reflection of the technology that we are talking about. Artificial intelligence is not just ChatGPT; it’s not just software that draws people with six fingers.

Artificial intelligence is behind robots used in disaster-recovery efforts; it powers self-driving cars for disabled people. Artificial intelligence appears to help us find cures to seemingly incurable diseases. It is also, some would say, not just technology, but rather an ideology. In other words, AI is big; way bigger than the chatbots with which most people currently associate AI.

So, what are we really talking about or debating here? To my mind, when we debate or discuss AI, what we are really talking about are very big philosophical questions. At the intersection of AI and music are questions about what music even is. Are AI-generated films with AI actors … art? Maybe what’s at stake when we discuss AI is nothing short of what it means to be human. And, that’s a big, scary question or set of questions. And when we’re scared, we necessarily or instinctually get very tribal. We seek comfort in like-minded others. Hence, the polarization.

But I think it’s a mistake to dig in and reflexively take sides on AI in education. Rather, I want educators to have nuanced conversations about AI and I certainly don’t want the technology broligarchs to dictate the outcomes. I want educators to realize the agency they have and to be the ones who drive and set the terms of the debate.

Therefore, I think it is incumbent that educators lean into the nuances of the debate instead of reflexively picking a side. To do that, I am thinking through a set of four questions. Instead of “all in” or “NeverAI,” I think the questions facing education include:

1. Where, if anywhere, in the educational enterprise does AI have benefits that exceed costs?
2. How do the answers to that question differ between teaching/learning, management, and research?
3. How can educational institutions (re)claim the field of research and development around AI?
4. What do we owe students with respect to learning about AI (and other emerging technologies)?

These are questions that I will continue to ask myself, even as I have preliminary thoughts. For example, on the first question, I currently believe that K-12 schools should be blocking access to conversational chatbots. There are some interesting things that can be done with base large language models, but the potential harms for learning and for student well-being are currently too large. But, in higher education, there are some really fascinating opportunities, for example, at the intersection of AI and the humanities. Additionally, for questions two and three, I am in agreement with Ted Underwood who writes that:

The future that should concern us is one where AI does empower students and faculty but continues to be shaped off campus. If we take that path, higher education risks losing its central place in the production and distribution of knowledge… . So if educators want to stay at the forefront of knowledge production, we have no choice but to take responsibility for shaping AI and fitting it to our needs.

And, on question four, I think we owe our students something more than just AI; we owe them a broad, interdisciplinary look at the impact of AI and other emerging technologies on science and society.

My hope is that if we can avoid binaries and ask ourselves questions that require deep thought and cause nuanced conversations, maybe we can all relax a bit. Perhaps even … recline.

Thanks to Jon for sharing his thoughts.

Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at [email protected]. When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it’s selected or if you’d prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

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