MWA2

AI’s Effects on Education

What used to be imagination is now a reality. AI, or Artificial Intelligence, is here today, affecting all of us. It affects business. healthcare, education, and it is here to stay. Whether that’s good or bad is still undecided, but only time will tell. This essay will focus on AI's effects on the education system. AI is a tool that can lead to the success or downfall of many.

To better understand this essay, first, let’s start with what AI is. AI, also known as artificial intelligence, “is the theory and development of computer systems capable of performing tasks that historically required human intelligence, such as recognizing speech, making decisions, and identifying patterns” (Coursera). Essentially, it’s a computer that can mimic the human mind. Now, what does this mean? When you ask Google a question, it doesn’t respond to you like a person would. No, it directs you to websites that relate to what it is you asked. Google doesn’t see your question as a question; it sees it like a word search. Google will search for similar phrases and redirect you to its findings. AI is different. AI has the capacity to tell if you are asking a question and give a direct answer. It's almost like asking a teacher a question. AI will respond with a step-by-step process on how to come to a solution. AI can even write papers and emails for you; however, the result may sound ‘inhuman’. AI cannot replicate creativity, empathy, or critical thinking. “The key is to use AI as a tool to enhance, not replace” (Science Today). It is a powerful tool that, when used correctly, can benefit people at work, school, and home. However, if it is abused, it can cause more harm than benefit.

After discussing AI, let’s now discuss its role in the education system. First, the negative side. AI can write essays, analyze papers, and provide responses for students. Now, this sounds good, but it stops students from learning. When a student relies on AI too much, they are essentially replaced by the computer. They no longer go through the process that requires critical thinking to come to a solution; the AI gives them an answer. This will stunt a student's growth and prevent them from learning to think on their own.

School assignments are made to challenge students, prompting growth of their ‘thinking muscles’, and when AI just answers, this growth is prevented. This could lead to an over-reliance on AI as the student ages into harder grades. AI can also be used by teachers to make assignments. AI relies on data that is collected from many sources. “AI systems can unintentionally reinforce existing biases if not carefully designed and tested” (Schools That Lead). This can lead to assignments reinforcing negative behaviors and or thoughts towards certain demographics. As previously mentioned, AI cannot replicate human emotion, there is no right or wrong to AI, only what it is told. Over-reliance on AI can also affect teachers. AI can analyze students' essays and provide a grade based on a provided rubric. However, this takes the human out of teaching. AI will grade assignments for all ages the same. Let’s say a 4th-grade teacher asks AI to grade their students' essays. The rubric provided was in-depth to make the students think harder about the assignment. Let’s also say a college professor asks the same thing of AI with the same rubric. AI treats the essays as if the authors were all the same, there is no difference between the people writing the essays. But there is. The difference between 4th graders and college-level students is immense, but AI doesn’t see it that way; it just sees a request and carries out said request. Teachers are still needed to add a human aspect to teaching. If all grading is left up to AI, things such as effort would go unnoticed.

Now, let’s talk about the benefits of AI in our education system. AI can write essays, create practice problems, and clarify where clarification is needed. Students can use AI to write essays on certain topics to see an example of what the final product should look like. If the student uses AI as an example and not a replacement, AI can be very beneficial. AI can analyze problems that are ‘fed’ to it and create new problems that require a similar path to solve. AI can also analyze certain steps of the solving process and give a more in-depth analysis of what occurred. Students can use this technology to study for tests and exams. Teachers can use AI to personalize learning and adapt lessons to each student. AI can analyze what a student is struggling with based on data from past assignments. With this knowledge, a teacher can target these weaknesses and ensure each student learns what they are supposed to. AI can also replace teachers outside of class. It can provide real-time feedback. “Virtual tutors and AI chatbots can provide immediate responses to student questions, enabling them to learn independently and receive feedback at any time. This additional support improves the quality of classroom-based learning and helps fill knowledge gaps. Students benefit from constant learning reinforcement, ultimately improving confidence and retention” (Schools That Lead).

AI is a tool that can lead to the success or downfall of many. AI could revolutionize education systems and the way people are taught. It could raise humanity's intelligence to a whole new level and cause humanity to thrive. Or AI could destroy our current education systems and destroy teaching as we know it. Depending on how people utilize AI, it can hinder their or others' growth, or it can benefit them and help others succeed. AI is truly in the hands of the beholder, and there’s no turning back. Whether AI will change the educational system for the better or worse is still up in the air. What we do know is that it is out there now affecting us in ways we don’t even know.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse