Reflection 6 – AI in the Classroom

Posted on By angelicamiller

In week 9, we talked about Artificial Intelligence, and how it is and can be used in the classroom. I have a few strong opinions about this topic, so I’m glad we got to learn more about it. I am glad that we went over how AI has both positives and negatives, I think that is important to be educated on. I’m going to outline the positives and negatives to AI that I am aware of.

Positives:

  • Educational Benefits: AI has become so easily accessible and can be a great tool to learn new information about specific topics.
  • AI Saves Time: When we want to learn something quickly, AI is much faster than searching through articles in a search result.
  • Benefits as an Educator: AI can be a great tool to draft emails, report cards, lesson plans, and much more. But it is important that we do not rely solely on AI, and review everything that we use AI for.
  • Image Generating: AI can generate images and the quality is continuing to improve with time. When we want a specific image, but cannot find what we are looking for, it is likely that AI could generate the image we are looking for.

I have also included a YouTube video that I found that talks about some other possible benefits of AI. This video was uploaded 5 years ago and I’m curious as to what else AI could do now that it has evolved.

“The Benefits of Artificial Intelligence: An Interview with Professor Stuart Russel of UC Berkeley,” uploaded by McKinsey & Company

Negatives:

  • Climate Impacts: A single AI response uses a significantly large amount of fresh water. AI also requires rare metals to be manufactured.
  • Plagiarism: Using AI can be plagiarism in the sense that you do not know where the information that AI gives you comes from, and it is likely coming from another online source that is not stated. When using AI in your work, you must appropriately cite where it is used.
  • Incorrect Information: AI has the potential to give you incorrect information without informing you. We must use caution when using AI as a source.
  • Biases and Perspectives: AI was first created from a Western perspective. Using AI for information about other cultures and countries may be considered unethical, and information given could be misleading or written from a Western perspective.
  • Taking Away Human Jobs and Opportunities: AI has the potential to take away human jobs and opportunities. We already see this happening when companies use AI generated art instead of hiring an artist.

I have also linked 2 YouTube videos that talk about some downsides of AI. The first video talks about some ethical concerns regarding AI, and the second talks about some of the climate impacts caused by AI.

“The Three Big Ethical Concerns With Artificial Intelligence,” uploaded by MaRS Discovery District
“AI’s Hidden Climate Costs – About That,” uploaded by CBC News

Conclusion:

When I think about AI, all I can focus on is how harmful it is to the environment. Personally, I cannot bring myself to use AI while I know this. I think that in the future, if we find a way to make AI less harmful to the environment, I could see myself using it as a tool occasionally. I hope that we can find a way to limit the environmental harm caused by AI, because I am aware that countless people use AI everyday. I do think that AI can be an extremely beneficial tool, but I hope to see positive progress in regards to the environmental impact. If this becomes the case, I would be happy to use AI as a tool in my career.

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