You walk into your classroom and take a seat next to your best friend. You start talking about your plans for the weekend; just then a computer screen flips on and tells you to quiet down: it is Artificial Intelligence (AI). The AI has little understanding on how to control a group of talkative 8th graders. It gives you an assignment to complete but when you have a question it does not understand how to help you.This may sound like it came out of a science fiction novel, but if we are not careful this could become our reality!
Artificial Intelligence is the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages. However, this is no substitute for human contact. AI will never be able to replace a teacher.
Critical thinking is when you question, analyze, interpret, evaluate, and judge what you read, hear, say, or write. The term critical comes from the Greek word kritikos meaning “able to judge or discern. Ron Carucci from Forbes states, ” AI cannot fully grasp the subtleties and nuances of human language and context.” Since AI learns from internet sites such as Google, it cannot think for itself and therefore cannot help students use their imagination in their writing or assignments in an academic environment. This goes further than just lacking critical thinking skills. If students start using AI in school their writing will not be their own. They will start sounding more like the robot helping them write their pieces than an actual human being.
Poets, like craftsmen, work with raw materials of the world to forge new understandings and comment on what it means to be human. Dartmouth researchers tested this theory by asking robots to write poetry. A panel of people sorted through piles of papers and were able to define which poems were written by robots and which by humans. While AI has been used in medicine, manufacturing, and even journalism, poetry is a different story since the robots lacked emotion in their writing and were caught red handed. This test indicates that AI lacks the emotional component to ever replace a teacher. A teacher is someone a student can go to when having a problem. AI does not understand how the human brain interprets emotion so they would be unable to comfort the student. The BF Bolt did a similar study tas Dartmouth University to understand the emotional lack of an AI.
A poll was conducted on a group of students at BF Middle School where they had to identify the differences between a poem written by AI and a real life human. The results showed that 83% of BF Middle Schoolers were able to identify which poem was generated by AI and which poem was written by one of their fellow students. These results were similar to the study done by Dartmouth researchers.
Topic: Cats
| AI Poem | Student Poem from BF |
| Fluffy and furry, with eyes so bright,
Purring and playful, through day and night. Their little paws and noses are so fine, Chasing mice, with a playful twine. Their soft meows and gentle purrs, Bring joy to our hearts and our nurs. Their fur was so soft, like silk to the touch, Cuddles and snuggles, they never clutch. With a flick of their tails, they steal our hearts, And with a purr, they capture our parts. So here’s to our feline friends, Whose love and affection never end. |
Slow and steady
Mysterious and ready Although cute and fluffy It waited to attack The clock continues ticking As the night passes by The feline monster lies awake till dawn comes by When dawn has come, the cat will wait For its breakfast to come And a long nap awaits |
Human interaction is an essential part of life and has many physical, mental, and emotional benefits. From providing a sense of community and connection to building relationships and trust, human interaction is an invaluable tool for personal and professional development. Without human interaction with a teacher, students will lack skills they will need in the real world. For example, going out for a job interview requires looking a person in the eyes and answering questions on the spot. In a class with a teacher these skills can be developed with time and patience, but with AI these skills will never develop.
We don’t know what the future holds but it can be said that AI is a step in the wrong direction. Think back on a time where a teacher helped you on an assignment or a problem with friends. AI will not be able to solve your problems on the worksheet or in the real world. For the benefit and well being of current and future students let us hope AI does not replace our teachers.
