The growing popularity of artificial intelligence (AI) programs is sparking a debate about technological transformation, according to Equal Times’ Julian Zelizer. The conversation reached new heights with the release of ChatGPT by OpenAI in December 2022, a program that generates text. However, Zelizer argues that the debate is not as transformative as it seems because humans still need to make sense of the information.
If ChatGPT were introduced in schools tomorrow, it would likely lead to wasted time without offering a comparative advantage. Zelizer emphasizes that AI is not intelligent. It is not programmed to think or understand but learns from text and information. ChatGPT responds based on what we think, using a cloaked plagiarism technique. Education institutions and systems should seize this opportunity and view it as a positive incentive for much-needed change.
Overall, the debate for educators seems to be about moving with the times. This is the view of Pasi Sahlberg, a former director-general at the Finnish Ministry of Education and current professor in Finland. For him, the challenge lies in updating schools to fit into these new futures rather than avoiding the implications of artificial intelligence for education and training. Educators need to recognize that AI is a game-changing technology, and there is no turning back.
