Viable alternatives to AI already exist
Brad Skull recently wrote about the negative effects of AI on education, particularly on writing. He quotes Paulo Freire, a prominent Brazilian educator and philosopher, who wrote that literacy is the act of “reading the word and world.” By that, Freire meant that true education involves more than mechanically decoding written symbols (which is what AI does). Instead, the ability to read written language is inextricably linked to the ability to interpret, question and transform the cultural and political forces that shape human life.
Skull says that what Freire advocates is the opposite of what AI stands for: a return to “discussion-focused classrooms that mirror, or reinvent, the age of one-on-one or small group oral pedagogy.” Unfortunately, he correctly notes that such an approach is out of the question today, affordable only to the wealthiest institutions.
But I don’t think it is quite as bad as he says. While having access to a one-on-one education in our schools would be ideal, the model is still available in other formats. The Concord Monitor, our local newspaper, is an excellent example of such a space where ideas and concerns can be debated. And when you think about it, other venues include library book clubs, fraternal organizations, religious institutions and a wide variety of nonprofits where individual citizens can interpret, question and work to transform our culture.
The bottom line is: support our local institutions!