Human Vegetables: The Unintended Consequence of AI’s Unrestrained Growth in 2023

VEGETABLES. Human vegetables. Living human vegetables. That’s precisely the future of humanity as we continue to delegate all skills to AI without guard rails! And it’s happening right now in 2023.

I must SHOUT my point with ALL CAPS. I’m not sorry for raising a warning. WE ARE IN URGENT NEED FOR AI-RELATED POLICIES.

In today’s fast-paced world, the rise of artificial intelligence has brought about both incredible advancements and unforeseen dangers. Our reliance on AI is growing at an alarming rate, and its consequences are becoming more apparent each day.

Take, for example, the use of AI in writing assistance tools. Students have started to depend heavily on these tools for their essays and research papers, resulting in a decline in their writing skills and critical thinking abilities. The same goes for AI-powered math solvers that provide instant solutions to complex problems, depriving learners of the opportunity to understand and solve them independently.

I’ve already noticed some kids depending on Github Copilot for coding, and their coding skills are diminishing rapidly. This trend is evident in math, literature, and reasoning skills as well. As AI continues to permeate various aspects of our lives, there’s an urgent need to address the unintended consequences of its rapid growth.

My boys are strictly prohibited from using AI-assisted learning tools for the time being. (No, they are NOT prohibited from playing video games, as I strongly believe in the different set of skills they acquire playing games. This I will debate in a separate context and post. I have two living examples who play video games most of the time and have a weighted average above 4.7 GPA and are socially adept.)

I am open to AI-assisted Socratic teaching methods, where AI can engage students with thought-provoking questions instead of spoon-feeding them results or code. However, such safeguards are absent in the current generation of AI models. THIS IS DANGEROUS.

What is socratic training and how can AI help?

Socratic training, also known as the Socratic method or Socratic questioning, is a teaching approach based on the philosophical practice of Socrates. It involves asking a series of thought-provoking questions that encourage learners to think critically, analyze their own beliefs, and foster deep understanding of a subject. The primary goal of the Socratic method is to stimulate independent thinking and intellectual curiosity, rather than simply providing students with answers or factual information.

Incorporating AI into Socratic training can be an effective way to create a personalized and engaging learning experience. Here are some ways AI can be used for Socratic training:

1. Adaptive questioning: AI can analyze a student’s progress and understanding of a subject to generate contextually relevant questions. By tailoring questions to the individual’s learning needs, the AI can help guide the student through the learning process and foster deeper comprehension.
2. Conversation-based learning: AI-powered chatbots or virtual tutors can engage students in a Socratic-style dialogue, simulating the experience of a one-on-one conversation with a knowledgeable instructor. These AI systems can pose questions, provide hints, and encourage students to think critically and creatively about a given topic.
3. Analyzing student responses: AI can analyze student responses to questions, identify misconceptions or gaps in understanding, and suggest follow-up questions to address those issues. This approach helps learners to reflect on their thought process and gain a deeper understanding of the subject matter.
4. Personalized feedback: AI can provide real-time, personalized feedback on a student’s performance, identifying areas of strength and weakness, and suggesting targeted resources or strategies for improvement. This feedback helps students to focus their efforts on the most relevant aspects of their learning.
5. Facilitating group discussions: AI can be used to moderate and guide online group discussions, ensuring that the conversation stays focused on the topic and follows the principles of Socratic questioning. The AI can also highlight particularly insightful contributions and encourage further exploration of those ideas.

URGENT POLICIES FOR SKILL RETENTION

Here are some probable policies that one can ponder that promote human creativity and skill retention:

1. Promote human-centered AI: Policies should prioritize the development and use of AI systems that augment human creativity and skill development, rather than replacing or devaluing human labor. This includes investing in AI systems that enhance human decision-making, creativity, and problem-solving abilities.
2. Encourage lifelong learning: Policies should encourage individuals to pursue lifelong learning and upskilling, to ensure that they can adapt to changing work environments and acquire new skills that complement AI systems. This includes providing access to training programs, apprenticeships, and continuing education opportunities.
3. Support human-AI collaboration: Policies should encourage the development and use of AI systems that work collaboratively with humans, rather than replacing them. This includes developing interfaces and design principles that enable effective collaboration between humans and AI, and promoting human-AI partnerships in industries and workplaces.
4. Foster creativity and innovation: Policies should support initiatives that foster creativity and innovation, such as funding research and development of new technologies and promoting entrepreneurship in the ares of guard-rail development. THIS IS URGENT. This includes investing in initiatives that support creative thinking and problem-solving skills, such as STEAM education programs.
5. Address the digital divide: Policies should address the digital divide by promoting equitable access to AI technologies and training opportunities. This includes investing in initiatives that provide access to technology and digital literacy training to underserved communities. Without this, the have and have-nots will have a wide chasm that shall be hard to jump.

The policies that prioritize human creativity and skill retention are essential for ensuring that AI systems are developed and used in ways that benefit individuals and society as a whole.

CAUTION

The unchecked adoption of AI in hiring practices serves as another worrisome example. Many companies now use AI-powered applicant tracking systems to filter and rank job candidates. These algorithms often perpetuate bias, unintentionally screening out qualified candidates due to their age, race, or gender. As a result, our job market is becoming more homogeneous, and we risk losing the diversity of thought and experience that fuels innovation.

The speed at which AI is not only replacing jobs and skills but also eroding the acquisition of these skills is truly ALARMING. To prevent the bleak future of human vegetables, we must act now.

It’s high time that governments, educational institutions, and industries come together to create comprehensive AI policies that promote responsible use and ethical development. We must strike a balance between leveraging AI’s benefits and preserving the essential skills that make us human.

As we forge ahead into the AI-driven era, let us not forget the importance of nurturing our creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities. Only by doing so can we ensure a future where AI serves as a powerful tool to enrich our lives, rather than a crutch that renders us helpless and dependent.