Category: Critical Perspectives
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Education doesn’t need more sparkle ✨
The education system is often deemed broken, but in reality, it is working as designed. While technology may claim to “revolutionize education”, it often fails to address societal and cultural shifts impacting education. Technological solutions, like Microsoft’s “add sparkle” feature, demonstrate a lack of understanding and respect for educators. True progress lies in supporting educators…
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Chatbots STILL aren’t the future of AI in education… so what is?
I’ve criticised the focus on chatbots in education, especially those using Generative AI as “homework helpers” and personalised tutors. I think these tools are limited and not aligned with the future of AI applications, or a solid understanding of pedagogy. The education sector is being left behind as tech companies prioritise more advanced AI developments.…
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Critic, creator, consumer: A framework for using (or being used by) GenAI
In the past 18 months, multimodal generative AI has become increasingly ubiquitous, influencing the way many create and interact with content across various domains, including text, image, audio, and video. While generative AI doesn’t “democratise creativity“, it will impact upon many creative and academic areas. As these technologies continue to advance and permeate our daily…
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Generative AI doesn’t “democratize creativity”
Last weekend, I saw a LinkedIn post from influential AI-educator Ethan Mollick, in which Mollick presented a YouTube channel of videos created using GenAI. Glaring copyright and IP issues notwithstanding, one thing in particular about the post rubbed me up the wrong way: the term “democratizing” applied to AI and creativity. Mollick shares a lot…
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Some technologies are created with values, others have values thrust upon them
Back in 2023, I wrote an extensive series of articles called Teaching AI Ethics in which I explored nine areas of ethical concerns with artificial intelligence. In those early articles, I argued that it is absolutely necessary to wrestle with the ethical challenges of artificial intelligence, particularly as generative applications such as ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot,…
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Holding on to what we’ve learned, and letting go of what we’ve lost: Generative AI post lockdowns
This article has been adapted and updated from an earlier piece published in VATE’s Idiom magazine. I know we don’t talk about remote learning any more, but… The first Stage 3 lockdowns came into effect in Victoria over almost four years ago to the day, at midnight March 31st, 2020. Schools had been forewarned, and…
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The Myth of the AI First Draft
I write daily, often for hours at a time. I’m an author of fiction and nonfiction, and even when I’m not writing something for publication I fill notebooks with ideas and frequently illegible scribbles. I’ve also taught writing for almost two decades, and I understand that not everyone loves writing as much as I do.…
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Chatbots don’t make sense – they make words
Despite the hype surrounding advanced Large Language Models like GPT-4, there is yet to be any evidence that these kinds of AI can think. In this post, I’m exploring how chatbots are built and trained, and why a little technical understanding goes a long way. Knowing even the broad strokes of how large language models…
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Dead-end chatbots: Why chatbots aren’t the future of generative AI in education
I recently ran a series of posts on LinkedIn arguing that chatbots are a dead-end in education. I think it’s fair to say that the posts ruffled a few feathers. My DMs quickly filled with people touting their made-for-education products and services, and if I’d only try them I’d see why I was totally wrong.…
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Digital plastic: Generative AI and the digital ecosystem
I’ve got a love hate relationship with the metaphors we use to talk about Artificial Intelligence, but at the risk of seeming hypocritical I’m going to make one anyway. I’m also going to mangle several fields of science, geology, and archaeology in the process, but hey, it’s all in the pursuit of The Metaphor. I…