AI has the power to supercharge our abilities or to reduce cognitive performance. But not everyone will have a choice.
Equality of access - Thankfully most AI LLMs are free currently (the cost is our data they collect). However we saw during the pandemic, that access to devices will continue to be an issue. At the other end, those that can afford the paid versions will get early access and also premium features. Already there are 3 tiers of AI access.
Equality of expertise - While some schools are ploughing ahead with AI advances, figures collected by Teacher Tapp, show just 17 per cent of teachers in April had used AI tools to help with school work. Another 62 per cent had never used the technology. Already there is a widening gap in staff knowledge and expertise of AI and therefore this will translate on to their students.
Equality of use - A student asked me a while ago, " Will AI make people lazy?" My response was:
Creative people will use it to be more creative.
Workaholics will use it to do more work.
Productive people will use it to be more productive.
Lazy people will use it to be lazier.AI is just a tool.
It is the character that comes to the tool which dictates how it is used. We need to be teaching 'character', as the temptation to let AI do the work for them, will always be there.We also need to show students examples of how they can use AI to supercharge their learning, rather than cut corners by doing the thinking for them.
They should use it to build them not to break them.
The principle of 'use it or lose it', is a definite risk we need to consider, otherwise the AI gap will widen.
