Digital Learning Week 2023: Generative AI and education

Introduction

Good morning, bonjour, and welcome back to La Maison De l'UNESCO, our truly international space for exchanging experiences, hopes, and concerns, and charting a way forward. For the first segment of Digital Learning Week 2023, we are delighted to welcome two distinguished speakers. On my right, Professor Danielle Andler, a philosopher and mathematician, and on my left, Professor Stuart Russell, a notable computer scientist.

Introduction

Generative AI, particularly as exemplified by OpenAI's ChatGPT-4, has recently captured public and media attention due to its capacity to create text, images, music, and even code. The implications for education are significant, causing both immediate and more fundamental concerns. Immediate issues include cheating and reassessment of writing assignments, while fundamental concerns revolve around the nature of human intelligence, knowledge creation, and acquisition.

Professor Danielle Andler's Perspective

Professor Andler delved into the role of generative AI in education, challenging whether it should be banned or embraced. He underscored that while generative AI holds potential, it also disrupts essential educational processes. Key concerns include its autonomy and its ability to disrupt the teacher-student relationship by posing as an autonomous instructor.

According to Andler, there is a risk of deskilling students and teachers if they rely too heavily on AI tools like ChatGPT. He proposes a "bilingual" approach where both AI-enhanced and AI-free pedagogies are balanced, cautioning against too liberal an adoption of generative AI in education systems.

Stuart Russell's Insights

Professor Russell emphasized that AI’s promise is its capability to deliver at scale and at minimal cost, potentially revolutionizing global GDP. Yet, he warns of risks like disinformation, surveillance, bias, and psychological changes. Highlighting historical shifts, he argued that AI should address unmet needs, particularly in education, to fill significant gaps left by traditional teaching methods.

Russell advocated individual tutoring through AI, which he posited could significantly enhance learning outcomes. However, he emphasized that AI must be tested, vetted, and used carefully to avoid acting as a replacement for human intellectual labor and learning processes.

Q&A Session Highlights

During the Q&A session, issues like student engagement, the role of AI in developing social emotional skills, the open vs. closed model of AI development, and the future of schools were discussed. Both speakers stressed the importance of creating motivational frameworks to keep students engaged, regardless of economic necessities.

Russell noted the decline in the economic requirement for education, suggesting that peer pressure and cultural imperatives might become essential motivational factors. Andler reiterated the importance of researching the effects of AI on education and called for appropriate institutional oversight.

Closing Remarks

The session concluded with reflections on envisioning the future of education with AI, stressing that AI tools should enhance rather than replace human interactions and learning processes. The day will continue with an exploration of specific AI competencies for teachers and students, considering age-appropriateness in educational applications of AI.

Thank you for joining us.