By now, we’ve all noticed that artificial intelligence (AI) is being discussed a lot more, especially in the context of careers and the professions market. This article focuses specifically on how artificial intelligence (AI) has affected us as students and the education system. We’ll discuss how AI is changing the way we learn, the challenges it brings, and the potential benefits for the future of education.
Understanding Artificial Intelligence
What is artificial intelligence? Artificial intelligence (Al) allows machines to perform tasks that traditionally required human cognition. Al-powered programs and devices can make decisions, solve problems, understand and mimic natural language and learn from unstructured data.
Development of AI The release of ChatGPT by OpenAl, a natural language processing chatbot in the fall of 2022 brought Al to many people’s attention for the first time. However, Al tools have been a part of technology for years. The concept of artificial intelligence can be traced back to the 1900s and throughout the year it’s been going through many phases of development. Recent advancements in breakthroughs of machine learning and availability of vast amounts of data is what brought on AI’s tremendous popularity. All those self-driving cars and virtual assistants like Siri, are a form of artificial intelligence. Even simply scrolling through your social media feed is a way you are interacting with artificial intelligence. Al is very developed now to the point you have millions of accessible chatbots answering your every question, speaking like humans, generating images for you as if it were a human who drew it, writing stories and more. All this has made many traditional work improve and made it a major part of our daily lives. In this article we will explore its role in education.
Adversities Faced Due to Al
AI and job displacement: Despite its number of proven benefits, the rapid development of Al has raised concerns about its impact on the learning and education system today. One major challenge is, on top of every other factor students entering the workforce need to consider when picking a degree, they’ll need to take into consideration and calculate if in the near future their chosen professions will become largely automated. The placement of AI machines in jobs like repetitive tasks in factories, grocery stores, data entry clerks, and basic accounting tasks forces workers to adapt their skills or transition into new roles that AI cannot easily perform, such as creative or strategic tasks that require human judgment and empathy. The bright side of this is that more students are choosing their degrees and careers wisely and with extra thought. Other than the obvious, AI causing people to lose their jobs, it’s irritating as it makes options even more limited. This complex issue concerns the educational system because we need to reconsider how we prepare students for future jobs and what kind of skills are being focused on teaching them from an early level. With that being said, this of course also means in the near or far future a large number of educators can lose their jobs, or at the very least find it challenging to find suitable work.
Rise of virtual learning and its impact on social skills: AI also connects to another rapidly spreading problem, which is the lack of face-to-face communication and connections. Not only in schools but work places too, a lot of tasks are becoming mostly virtual and some entirely virtual, so there’s a lack of sense of community and connection. For students, particularly among the younger ones, this isn’t good because of the potential impact on their social development and emotional well-being. Educational institutions should work on highlighting the importance of maintaining a balance between technology and human interaction. Furthermore, while Al is without a doubt accurate, if you were to carelessly over rely on it (which many students are beginning to do) and an error occurs then you can get yourself stuck and in serious trouble. Besides there is a concern among people towards protection of data privacy and personal information.
The digital divide: Moreover, some people forget to put this into consideration, but many students in the world still don’t have as much access to these advanced tools and methods of learning, or even at all. Of course this was already a challenge even without the advanced tools but the gap between privileged and underprivileged students is only getting wider because schools with more funding can afford to include AI and other technologies into their curriculum, giving their students the relevant resources to a richer and more up to date education. Schools that don’t have the ability to give such opportunities to it’s students, leave them at a risk of disadvantage in skill development important for this fast paced world. This gap can lead to a cycle where privileged students continue to get ahead while underprivileged students fall further behind, widening inequality.
The Advantages it Offers
With all of these challenges, Al still presents numerous opportunities to improve education outcomes for students and educators alike. For example, there won’t be as many students paying for tutors anymore because now anyone has access to applications like ChatGPT. This is a big advantage to those in the past who couldn’t afford an extra hand. In addition to that, its assistance for teachers too has been significant. For instance, it’s been speeding up the grading system in many institutions for years now. Many more simple assignments that once must be submitted in person, can now be easily done and submitted online, which makes all the hassle of collecting, submitting and grading easier both for the student and teacher. These kind of benefits allow teachers to focus more on other important tasks like improving their teaching quality. That being said, AI knows how to help come up with quick strategic lesson plans. Additionally, the fact that you can ask anything to ChatGPT and other applications for free, helps many homeschooled students who don’t have a personal teacher to ask, or simply any student who doesn’t have anyone appropriate around to help when they are stuck on a certain problem. It explains the lessons properly so it’s a good and easy way to improve your performance in all subjects. This personalized learning experience has been a significant change to student lives as it offers speedy assistance to everyone’s individual needs and preferences.
For the students who require researching a lot, like university students, Al can be their best friend because they don’t have to go through many different articles and youtube videos to find what they are looking for. Every accurate information you need is all in one place with apps like Socratic by Google. Especially because you can ask direct questions and receive direct answers without any complication, it’s now like having a whole free and easy to access library at your hand. Because artificial intelligence makes work easier and faster for both students and teachers, the education system is progressing faster and better these days. This ensures that every student is provided with the support they need and that greatly improves motivation and engagement.
A Closer Look Into Virtual Learning Benefits
For students: Virtual education has emerged and became a vital tool for students worldwide because it offers a range of benefits beyond traditional classroom settings. One significant advantage is the opportunity for students to learn skills that extend beyond the school curriculum. Online courses and education websites provide free access to subjects like coding, digital marketing, and graphic design, which encourages students to explore different interests and develop useful skills for their future careers. This flexibility in learning not only improves academic growth but also encourages students to be curious and seek knowledge. Moreover, virtual education allows students to maintain their responsibilities outside of school, such as part time jobs, family chores or extracurricular activities. The flexibility of online learning allows students to customize their study schedules and access course materials from the comfort of their homes, which is more convenient as it promotes a healthy balance between academic and personal responsibilities. This adaptability is especially beneficial to students with special learning needs or simply those facing challenges that may hinder their participation in traditional classroom settings.
For teachers: Thanks to AI, virtual education has also revolutionized teaching practices for educators. It provides teachers with fresh new tools and resources that improves their ability to deliver fun and effective lessons. For instance, virtual classrooms and video conferences allow teachers to connect with students from anywhere and allow interactive discussions and collaborative projects. This flexibility in communication helps the teachers understand their student’s individual needs and learning styles better, allowing them to tailor their teaching approaches accordingly.
Ensuring Fair Use of AI in Education
To bridge the gap between students who have access to AI tools and those who don’t, we need to make an effort and make sure everyone can benefit from these new technologies. Community programs and government policies play a big part in making sure all students, no matter their background, can use AI tools in school. It’s important for schools to work with technology companies to give every student the chance to learn with artificial intelligence. Additionally, teachers should be trained on how to use these tools well, to make sure all students get the same opportunities to learn and succeed in a world where technology is so important.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the input of AI into education presents both opportunities and challenges for students and educators alike. While AI has the potential to improve learning outcomes, personalize instruction, and streamline administrative tasks, it also comes with concerns about job displacement, ethical considerations, and accessibility issues. It’s important to achieve a balance between the advantages and disadvantages. Furthermore, addressing its challenges requires thoughtful planning, collaboration, and ongoing work. If we can responsibly use the power of AI, we can unlock the full potential of technology to enhance education and empower learners to thrive in the 21st century.
