Pro: Technology advancement in education is the future

STORY ISU PARK ILLUSTRATION ELLIE NAKAMURA

Artificial Intelligence has become increasingly prevalent over the past decade, with an exponential advancement pattern. These systems have made human life considerably easier, and alongside occupying the healthcare, finance, and transportation worlds, AI has taken on education.

With AI programs appearing in every level of school, its advantages have reaped the development of personalized learning experiences and accessible education (i.e., in combating overcrowded classrooms and empowering easy access for disabled people). It has also become a way for educators to better understand how students learn, providing them with a basis for recognizing trends to make more informed decisions about instruction.

What controversy that has landed on these technologies may surround a matter of cost, unemployment, and an easier way of infringing on academic integrity.

Adamantly, there is a large amount of debate on either side, but really, an AI future is an inevitable fate, so any act of arguing against it is ultimately meaningless.

Digitalization has impacted every aspect of human life – to the point that its aftermath is irreversible. For instance, it is the only plausible future for the staffing industry; the growing economy and the effect of social distancing culture put digitized methods at the forefront of employment, for its practicality is far greater than its alternative.

As AI systems become more advanced and autonomous, the ethical considerations will become more complex. Bias, transparency, and accountability are all facets of artificial intelligence, implemented by its creators.

Inserting these definitive parts of humanity into AI is a way of making AI more “human.” This increases the potential of technological singularity, where the effects of technological growth on civilization will expand past the point of reversal, and humans will no longer be able to predict machines.

Regarding the way most humans are already fairly dependent on AI, this is likely to happen soon.

Moreover, humankind is yet to encounter a limit to technological intelligence, but the limits of human intelligence are clearly understood.

Human intelligence is fixed, so any foreseen future involves a merge between our own cognitive capabilities with the boundless capabilities of AI. Thus, AI is likely to surpass humans. Because it is evidently smarter than us, we must embrace it as a part of evolution.

Perhaps this is dangerous to humanity. It is quite literally allowing humans to rely less and less on brain power, which is a direct blow to education. But to think there will be a delay on technological development for the sake of the common good is absurd; take nuclear energy.

While nuclear energy is inherently destructive, it ultimately benefits the world of STEM and advances technologies that help the greater cause of humanity. Thus is the same for AI advancement as well.

The creation of nuclear bombs took the lives of many people, and its advancement for the purposes of war machinery was controversial. However, it eventually paved the way for nuclear energy to be provided for the people, lending another way for cleaner energy.

AI has the potential to have positive impacts the way nuclear energy has had.

What people do not consider is that “artificial intelligence” is not just the physical product of technology – like computers or phones – but that it also accounts for the repercussions of all technology information; further advancement and involvement of AI in all mediums is an unavoidable fate for the permanent impact of digitization.

AI already exists, and any further work is to reach an era of hyper advancement – in every facet of life, including our schools.