AI: A Transformative Tool with Dual-Edge, Harboring Risks if Misused.

Published Date::29/09/2024

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform human life in profound ways, but it also poses significant risks if mishandled. According to Stefania Giannini, UNESCO's Assistant Director General for Education, each technological revolution has had broad social and educational implications, radically changing the way we live and how we learn.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a technology that holds potential to transform human life in profound ways, much like the discovery of fire. However, it also poses significant risks if mishandled. Stefania Giannini, UNESCO's Assistant Director General for Education, emphasized that each technological revolution has had broad social and educational implications, radically changing the way we live and how we learn.

Giannini noted that the digital divide in countries is still very much deep and the new technology, if not driven and supported by the appropriate investments, will widen this divide. She also highlighted that AI applications like ChatGPT generate new data from the vast amount of input available online, raising fundamental questions about human knowledge, education, and learning.

According to UNESCO's Global Education Monitoring Report, technology is never ideologically neutral, and new AI models and applications are no exception. Giannini stressed that AI cannot be classified as good or bad when it comes to education. Instead, she emphasized the need for governments and international bodies to establish robust frameworks to regulate AI in education as its final users are schools, learners, and teachers.

The use of AI in the education system poses several challenges, including what content and curriculum are appropriate for the digital age and how to assess learning outcomes. Giannini questioned whether schools and universities should try to block the use of AI or transform assessments to focus on presenting and supporting ideas and arguments with evidence.

Another critical question is whether schools of the future would need teachers or how AI tutors would change the work of teachers. UNESCO's Guidance to Generative Artificial Intelligence in Education and Research proposes key actions for government agencies to regulate GenAI based on safety and appropriateness for teaching and learning.

As AI becomes more sophisticated and easier to use, the need for specialized technical skills may diminish. Instead, cognitive and socio-emotional abilities to interrogate the machine by asking the right questions will be critical. Giannini concluded that the quality of the results will depend on one's ability to interact with technology.

FAQS:

Q: What is the potential of artificial intelligence in transforming human life?

A: Artificial intelligence has the potential to transform human life in profound ways, much like the discovery of fire. It can transform our lives in remarkable ways, at both individual and societal levels, from schools to healthcare, work, and transportation.

Q: What are the risks associated with artificial intelligence if mishandled?

A: If mishandled, artificial intelligence poses significant risks, including widening the digital divide, generating biased data, and raising fundamental questions about human knowledge, education, and learning.

Q: How can governments and international bodies regulate AI in education?

A: Governments and international bodies can establish robust frameworks to regulate AI in education, including proposing key actions for government agencies to regulate GenAI based on safety and appropriateness for teaching and learning.

Q: What competencies are needed in the digital age?

A: While technical skills in computer programming, data science, and software engineering will remain relevant, cognitive and socio-emotional abilities to interrogate the machine by asking the right questions will be critical in the digital age.

Q: Will AI replace teachers in the future?

A: The use of AI in education poses several challenges, including whether schools of the future would need teachers or how AI tutors would change the work of teachers. However, AI is unlikely to replace teachers entirely, but rather augment their role in education.

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