AI, Education, and a Generation's Fear of Redundancy: A Needed Paradigm Shift

AI's threat to education isn't about students 'cheating' their way to degrees. The real danger lies in something far more profound: the message it sends to students about their future value.

Conserving Energy: The Core of Technological Advancement

Humans naturally seek ways to conserve energy. This drive has fueled technological progress throughout history; we constantly strive to do things smarter, faster, and with fewer resources. AI, especially in its current form, represents a particularly aggressive leap in this direction.

Consider GPS. It has made map-reading skills almost obsolete, saving us cognitive load. Similarly, phones have affected our memories, and calculators have impacted mental arithmetic. These tools replace skills, freeing up mental resources. While some lament this 'laziness', it's actually an evolutionary adaptation.

OpenAI, though, feels different. We didn't demonise the calculator in the same way we are now demonising AI in schools.

The Real Damage: A Sense of Redundancy

The core issue isn't that students use AI; it's that they can use it to succeed. It reveals that the very skills and knowledge our education system values are now replicable by a machine. This realization is the source of a looming, existential dread.

Graduates may feel their degrees are devalued, as AI can seemingly perform the tasks those degrees certified them for. Coupled with fears of AI job displacement, this can lead to feelings of worthlessness. It's as if their years of effort and learning might be redundant. It tells them that the output they have been producing for so long is now doable by AI.

A New Approach: Embrace and Adapt

Banning AI is futile. Like calculators, it's here to stay. Instead, we should emulate the approach taken with driving instruction; learner drivers must now use sat-navs during their tests. The goal isn't to assess map-reading skills, but to ensure they can use the technology safely and effectively.

We should evaluate how well students can leverage AI as a tool. OpenAI thrives on quality input. We must teach students to think critically and channel those thoughts into AI. Stop fixating on perfect prose. Instead, nurture clear, sharp thinking. Clear writing will naturally follow.

Just like my friend who relies on spellcheckers is terrible at spelling, students who overly rely on AI might atrophy their own thinking skills. Humans aren't getting dumber. They are looking at the available technology and realising that using it conserves energy. However, the goal is not to replace human thinking entirely.

The Key Differentiator: Human Thought

Pros and cons are now more evident. There is a massive parallel, because as you start to teach them how to think, you also start to teach them how to write. The most crucial understanding to impart is that AI cannot truly think.

By teaching them how to think properly, we give the kids the key differentiator between great AI output and bad AI output. By helping our students to embrace AI as a tool, we equip them for a future where human ingenuity remains indispensable.