When calculators were introduced to the school system, many were pessimistic about the future of mathematics. A considerable number of people were reluctant to use calculators because they feared it would create generations of people who could not think for themselves. Now, what do we see?
People continue to use calculators in their everyday lives, from accounting to teaching. Calculators did not harm people's general comprehension of mathematics; instead, they have enhanced productivity in every aspect of life. When it comes to AI, we should remember this precedent.
We must understand that AI is here to improve our daily lives. Unfortunately, we are still unable to accept that central idea. Today, many organisations and educational institutions impose penalties on people who use AI to enhance their ideas. I strongly oppose criminalising AI usage in education and in the job sector.
As a teacher, I agree that AI should be used only when we want to brainstorm ideas that are difficult to grasp. I encourage my students to develop critical thinking skills because this is the only way we can judge people in the future. In the near future, everyone will have a personal AI assistant, and people will eventually look for more personalised insights rather than a general story. So, as a faculty member, I will create more critical questions so that my students can sharpen their cognitive abilities.
With the help of AI, we will be able to create objects so magnificent that we could not have imagined them. We must remain ethical when we put information into an AI system. That is why we must place more emphasis on morality than on academic work. A person without genuine morality can be regarded as a "devil" in this AI era.
We must also teach our students all the rudimentary stuff so that they can verify each piece of information. I aspire to build each student as a "watchdog" for AI usage. We just can't allow AI to post all content without human verification. That's the reason I am calling for a general education system for each department at every university.
Now, imagine an incident that could happen in the future. A recent graduate without morality, upon entering the job market, may put sensitive information, such as financial expenditures, confidential agreements, and demographic data, of organisations and institutions into an AI system. As a result, a gigantic company could collapse within a few days. If we can imagine this kind of scenario, we will strive to implement moral education at every educational institution, at any cost.
Moreover, we can apply AI to repetitive tasks. Teachers may become bored teaching the same class in every section. I encourage my colleagues to record their best class on a digital platform. With AI integrated into that platform, students will comprehend the teacher's lecture more effectively.
Additionally, we must teach our students the basics so that they can verify each piece of information. We should aspire to turn each student into a "watchdog" for AI usage. We cannot allow AI to publish content without human verification. That is why I strongly suggest introducing AI literacy courses at every university.
Finally, it needs to be reiterated that we must use AI with caution and that the ultimate decision should be made by a human rather than a machine. We must not close our doors to advanced AI systems; however, we must allow AI to integrate into our daily lives with caution.
Nursalin Ashfi is a faculty member in general studies at University of the People.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of The Business Standard.