Pictures by Matheus Bertelli
The existence of artificial intelligence has changed the landscape of education. Surely, as rational actors, students see AI as a rational option for them. Clearly, AI is a very competitive tool for students to meet the demands of education. In this case, the demand is to fulfil various tasks and help students find answers for many tests and challenging quizzes in their classroom. This brings us to the point that we need to reflect on our educational system.
The periodization of the educational system
Obviously, the educational system is actually divided into two eras: pre-industrial and post-industrial. In the pre-industrial era, education was an open dialogue, carried on by philosophers such as Plato, to find the truth and to reflect deeply on the nature of human beings and the realm in which they lived. Contrarily, the industrial era led people to see the educational system as part of the industrial system. The tests were introduced, and certain standards were implemented because the quality of education was judged by the effectiveness of higher education in producing competent and competitive workers.
This practice has been criticized but never really changed until we reach the point where AI is practically accessible to everyone. Since AI has existed, none of humans’ technical skills are safe from AI development. AI can produce contracts, documents, and other industrial needs, such as posters and designs, and can perform many skills that humans take years to acquire.
Students and AI
To make it ‘worse’, students can use AI to complete their tasks. To this day, there are no apps to ensure students are using AI. Some of the really good student writing is easily identified as AI-generated content. This situation leads us to realize that the educational system is no longer relevant. The realities of the post-industrial paradigm needs different system.
Several experts have proposed returning to the pre-educational industrial system. The AI disruption has changed the face of education forever. Students nowadays should not be judged by their tests. On the contrary, their ability to think critically and strategically, and to employ AI as part of their working tools are more important. The era of highly competitive workers will be long gone, and those skills will no longer be relevant.
We might have a serious question about this situation. After we go back to the pre-industrial system? How should we design our educational system? How to assess the student competitiveness? What role can be taken by the higher educational system?
We are in the middle of serious questions right now. We know the educational system is still important. On the other side, we do not know how it will work in the age of AI and the disruption it brings. Furthermore, we also understand that to think of AI as a threat to our educational system is underestimate the reality that AI is an inseparable part of our civilization. Therefore, we should reflect and not stop working together to instigate the new collaboration between AI and our educational system.
