Automation . . . with soul

Each day, it seems, brings a new story or essay about artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on education. Many explore whether - and how - ChatGPT and similar tools might bring about the homework apocalypse, enabling cheating and requiring educators to rethink the work they assign.  Others challenge us to think about how AI can make learning more accessible, effective, and personal; or how it can transform teaching by taking on burdensome administrative tasks, allowing teachers to be more creative and build more authentic relationships with students. And still others point to the biases embedded into AI models, or to privacy concerns, or to the risks posed by AI’s ability to accelerate misinformation and disinformation. We’ve been thinking about these issues, too, and we’ll be exploring them in later issues.

This week, however, the signals and trends we highlight below have us thinking about how we might help prepare our students for a world of ubiquitous, AI-augmented, human-machine collaboration and participate in making that future one of human flourishing.

What’s been happening

At BMW’s Spartanburg plant in South Carolina AI technology complements and supports human workers. AI-driven robots ensure the precise placement of up to half a million metal studs daily, flagging discrepancies without human interference, and freeing people on the assembly line to work on more complex issues. AI has also improved the inspection process. Camille Roberts, BMW Group's IT Project Lead, explained that as vehicles move down the production floor "the AI kicks in, identifying issues and flagging them for a human to fix." According to Roberts, before the AI upgrade, human workers couldn’t check every vehicle to the extent they can now, but with humans and AI working together, fewer defective vehicles are shipped to dealers.

At the University of Illinois Chicago, researchers piloted and elective course designed to rapidly transition fourth-year medical students from basic AI understanding to an advanced level. The course is structured around four key competencies: 1) discerning the appropriateness of technology in a clinical setting; 2) understanding how AI can enhance health outcomes; 3) assessing AI data for accuracy, error, or clinical relevance; and 4) articulating AI processes and results to both patients and professionals. The researchers behind the pilot concluded that understanding how AI technologies can support routine clinical care “will give the gift of time to patients and physicians.” The AI can help complete more mundane tasks and optimize care, enabling “physicians to foster meaningful and therapeutic relationships.”

will.i.am announced the launch of Focus Your Ideas (FYI), an AI platform designed specifically to support the creative process. “My vision for FYI is to help creatives organize, collaborate, and communicate in one place,” he says, “rather than have all their communications and digital assets spread across five different products. Having AI baked in the core of the product will give [people] the ability to supercharge their creativity.”

In a recent study, two Cornell researchers explored the impact of AI, particularly "smart" reply suggestions in messaging apps, on human communication. Their research points to the possibility that subtle guidance and reminders from AI might improve our ability to communicate with one another. For example, the AI could notice things are going downhill by analyzing the language used, and then suggest conflict-resolution strategies.

Are we at the dawn of the fifth industrial revolution?

In many ways, this AI moment is an extension of what many have called the 4th industrial revolution. The first industrial revolution took place in the 18th century, with the introduction of mechanized power. The second industrial revolution occurred in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when a host of breakthroughs set in motion systems of mass production and communication. The third industrial revolution took place over the last half century, as computers opened the digital world. The fourth industrial revolution is happening now, and is characterized by technologies such genome editing, augmented reality, robotics, 3-D printing, and artificial intelligence.

Scholars, pundits, and policymakers have been exploring what the impact of these technologies might be. Some see a future of fewer jobs and greater inequality. Others point out that with each of the industrial revolutions, while some jobs disappeared, many more new jobs were created, and believe the same pattern will play out as AI becomes even more powerful and deeply enmeshed in workplaces.

And some, including the European Commission and the Japanese government have begun to imagine and work toward a Fifth Industrial revolution, one that fosters a more balanced working relationship between increasingly smart technologies and humans; is characterized by harmonious human-machine collaborations; emphasizes the well-being and resilience of both humans and nature; and enhances human intelligence.

Food for Thought

We can’t be certain that this vision for the future will become reality, but it does invite us to consider how we might help our students understand and use the technologies emerging today in ways that will help them, and others, thrive.

• Adapting curricula to AI integration: How might our curricula be adapted to not only teach students about AI, but also how to effectively integrate it into problem-solving, both in technological and non-technological fields? What opportunities are there to introduce AI as a tool for learning and exploration from a young age?

• Ethics and AI: Given the potential biases inherent in AI, how might educators ensure that students are not just learning how to use AI tools but are also critically evaluating them for accuracy, equity, and ethical considerations?

• AI as a collaborative tool: With the increasing integration of AI in daily tasks and professions, how might educators prepare students to view AI not as a replacement, but as a collaborator that enhances human abilities and augments human roles?

• Soft skills in an AI world: As AI takes over more administrative and routine tasks, the value of human soft skills like creativity, empathy, and conflict resolution will likely increase. How might educational systems prioritize and nurture these skills, ensuring students are prepared for effective human-machine collaboration in the future?

Scene from 2036: Jenna, Kai, and Terra’s Garden Collaboration

The Biophilic Garden is a lush oasis and learning lab behind the school library. Tall trees filtered the golden sunlight. Flowers blossom, filling the air with sweet fragrances mixed with the subtle, fresh scent of dew.

In the shade beneath the trees, Jenna and Kai crouch over a patch of ferns, their fronds drooping slightly. Jenna's brow furrows with concern, while Kai analyzes the surrounding area.

Mr. Lin, their ever-curious guide, gestures towards the plants with a playful grin. "Looks like they need some help. Think you two and Terra can figure out what’s up?”

With a tap, Jenna activates her AR glasses. “Terra, can you give us the health metrics for these ferns over the past month?”

A holographic display materializes, pulsating with graphs and charts of moisture levels, sunlight exposure, and nutrient data.

Kai’s frown deepens as he studied the moisture graph. “Has there been an issue with the irrigation? These fluctuations are wild.”

From their earpieces, Terra's voice echoes, tinged with curiosity, “The irrigation system is operational. However, irregular rainfall patterns might be affecting moisture levels.”

Jenna, her eyes reflecting a hint of surprise, looks up at the dense tree canopy. "Is the canopy growth causing the ferns to miss out on rain?”

Terra takes a moment before responding, her voice encouraging, “Indeed, Jenna. Increased canopy density over the last two months might be shadowing the ferns during sporadic rainfall.”

Kai, rubbing his chin and thinking out loud, says, "What about a light trim for the canopy? And maybe we could use ground-based moisture collectors?”

Jenna nods in agreement. “And perhaps a few drones for periodic canopy monitoring?”

Terra's voice exhibits a tone of satisfaction. “Sounds like a plan. I’ll set it in motion.”

Mr. Lin, chuckling softly, gives them a thumbs up. “Nice teamwork. Looks like it’s time for you to head to the Food Lab.”

As Jenn and Kai walk towards the library doors, they pass a group of younger students grappling with a malfunctioning drone. Kai leans in, whispering to one of them, "Always ask Terra why it's behaving that way." The student's eyes sparkle with understanding, and he switches on his AR glasses.

Help us learn

Please share your thoughts, questions, experiences worries and hopes. We want to learn from and with you as we explore possible futures and their implications for education today.

Generative AI Disclosure

We asked ChatGPT to take on the role of an experienced futurist and suggest several ideas for future scenes set in schools based on the signals and trends we shared about human-machine collaboration. We chose the biophilic garden, and further developed the interaction between Jenna, Kai, and Terra. We also used Bing’s image generator to create a picture to represent the scene.

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