Page 68 - EW-June-2024

Teacher-2-Teacher

Preparing students for

the new AI age

VENUNADHAN PILLAI

S RAPID GROWTH IN Artificial Intelligence (AI) Indifference to the dawn of the AI age is
continues to reshape industries worldwide, it’s
also transforming education. The dramatic emer- a disservice to children. It is incumbent
Agence of three distinct categories of AI — Artificial upon school managements to ensure
Narrow Intelligence (ANI), Artificial General Intelligence
(AGI), and Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) — is set to learners are equipped with skill sets to
make a significant impact on the future of school curricula navitage the new AI-powered world
and the way students prepare for careers.
A noteworthy example of this transformation is under-
way in Kerala, where 80,000 school teachers are set to re- temporary tech visionaries including Elon Musk, Frank
ceive training to utilise AI in their classrooms. This initia- Wilczek, and the late Stephen Hawking, have expressed
tive is expected to revolutionise the education scenario in misgivings about ASI. Hawking and Wilczek have argued
the state, and emerge as a model for states countrywide. that the short-term impact of ASI depends on who controls
Goal-oriented Artificial Narrow Intelligence (ANI) pow- it, while the long-term impact depends on whether it can
ers much of the technology we interact with daily — Google be controlled at all.
Assistant, Alexa, Siri, and Google Translate. However while Indifference to the dawn of the AI age is a disservice to
highly proficient in specific tasks, ANI has limited scope. It children. They have to be trained to adapt to new AI-driven
requires school managements to train students to manage technologies and programs. It is incumbent upon educa-
such software. In several countries, schools are already inte- tionists, school managements and teachers to re-evaluate
grating ANI-powered teaching assistants and personalised curricula to ensure learners are equipped with skillsets
learning platforms to enhance the educational experience to navigate the new AI-powered world. This necessitates
of students. Tools such as Alexa for Education and Google’s upgradation of STEAM (science, technology, engineering,
AI-powered grading systems are discharging routine tasks arts and mathematics) curricula and integration of AI-
such as providing information and personalised learning related coursework and hands-on experiences into K-12
paths in classrooms, allowing teachers to provide individual syllabuses.
attention to every learner. A government school in Kerala he impact of AI on education won’t be limited to class-
has recently introduced Alexa in the classroom for minor in- Trooms. AI powered systems will also reshape schools’
structional purposes. Iris, India’s first AI-generated saree- administration and operations. AI-driven programs can
clad school teacher robot, has also been unveiled in a school assist with tasks such as scheduling, resource manage-
in the state. Some private sector schools in other states also ment, and student admissions. This will free up and allow
have robot assistants for teachers. educators to focus on core teaching-learning.
The next level Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is However, integration of AI into education has its chal-
where the true revolution in education is imminent. AGI lenges. Data privacy, algorithmic bias, and the possible
utilises the power of computers to plan, reason, assimilate displacement of teachers are important issues that need to
abstract ideas and provide alternative solutions. AGI inte- be addressed. As we embrace the transformative potential
grates human cognitive capabilities in software, enabling of AI in education, we must also be mindful of its ethical
AGI powered programs to find solutions to unfamiliar tasks implications. Rigorous governance frameworks and robust
such as data analysis. Once we reach the AGI stage, educa- teacher training programmes are critical to ensure that
tion will need to shift towards cultivating the critical think- the benefits of AI are realised while risks are eliminated.
ing, creativity, and adaptability of students, as these skills Nevertheless despite challenges, there’s an emerging
will become essential for them to utilise AGI-powered pro- consensus that the education sector needs to rapidly adapt
grams. A prominent example of AGI is Sophia, an advanced to the changing technology landscape. Schools that pro-
human-like robot which can recognize faces, maintain eye actively embrace AI to equip their students with future-
contact, engage in conversation, use facial expressions, ges- ready skills will thrive in the decades to come. For this,
tures and speech to communicate. the development of learner agency is not just important;
Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) is at the pinnacle of AI it is crucial. As the future is unpredictable, children should
development, when computers are invested with intellectual have greater voice, choice, and ownership of their learn-
capacity greater than of average human beings. Integrating ing while being encouraged to unlearn, relearn, and new-
ASI in healthcare, finance, and communication industries learn. The dawn of the new AI age should drive policy
will drastically alter the jobs market. Schools must prepare formulators and educators to action.
students with learning that complements and harnesses
the capabilities of ASI — data analysis, AI programming, (Dr. Venunadhan B. Pillai is a Kollam-based education consultant to
and ethical AI development are good examples. Many con- IB and Cambridge-affiliated schools)

68 EDUCATIONWORLD JUNE 2024