Izzy Appelt, News Editor
@Izzyacourant
The development of artificial intelligence (AI) has been a major force in the advancement of technology and robotics. AI has enabled machines to perform tasks that were previously reserved for humans, making them more efficient and cost-effective. AI is also being used to automate many processes, such as customer service, and to provide insights into data that would otherwise be impossible to gain. However, the development of AI poses a threat to education, as it could replace certain jobs that people previously did. AI could also lead to a decrease in the number of people who are employed in certain professions, as machines are able to complete tasks more quickly and accurately than human beings. The development of AI also has implications for educational institutions, as students may need to learn new skills and knowledge in order to remain competitive in the job market.
While you may read that initial paragraph and think, what kind of boring blog is this, I strongly recommend you continue reading, as typing that entire paragraph simply took me the click of a button due to the new and infamous OpenAi playground. I’ve heard talk all through the halls of this slick and sneaky website where you can ask artificial intelligence to practically do anything, more scarily, with a different outcome each time. To write the previous paragraph, I asked the bot to Write a 150-word paragraph on AI and how it contributes to society as a threat to education. In about 3 seconds, boom, done. The scary thing is this is simply a tiny fraction of the scope of power this Artificial Intelligence operation holds.
This new website was brought up earlier this week in my English class, starting with just one kid playing around with the site, and soon after, every person in my class shared the same computer screen. As our teacher was slightly concerned and curious about the reach of this site, she asked out whole class to type in the same exact specific question at the same time and read them out loud. We all asked to write an analytical essay on the use of symbolism by light in the Great Gatsby, including textual evidence, an assignment we had just recently completed in class. As we started to read them allowed, every single one was different and decently reflected the work we had just completed. Yes, they shared similarities, including larger quotes that were used or bigger ideas of the essay, but no two responses were the same. That is when it got creepy.
I have never shared a particular interest in technology in my life, it really stands outside my plethora of hobbies, but it didn’t take me long to realize how much potential chaos a single operation could reap on education nationwide. I mean, our technology and artificial intelligence have become so incredibly intelligent that they can now replace our roles and responsibilities as students with no consequence. Practically any essay prompt we are asked to do in school The potential of a single site to undermine school systems everywhere, whereas prior students needed to put some real thought into writing an essay, they could now do it at a simple request.
Yes, this site has obvious limits, including a lack of tone, choppier sentences, and restrictions on personal pronouns in its writing. For example, it does not do an excellent job of capturing emotion in its writing because, well, it’s a robot. However, the number of ways you can resemble questions until you get the product you like is unlimited.
I am trying to decide whether to be impressed by such a thing or whether to be threatened by it. It is not the actual quality of Artificial intelligence at this point that may be threatening, but its the fact that it will only get smarter, more observant, and more in tune with the complexities of our societies. I don’t know about you, but there is just a creepy sense of uncomfortableness that comes with that. The fact of the matter is that advancements like such pose a small sliver of truth to that 5th-grade fear almost every kid had at some point in time that someday, robots would take over the world. But as someone who has never really been in tune with the world of technology, this will be a no-thanks for me.
