This week, Jesse Miller came to our classroom to give us a talk about using mobile technology in the classroom. I found this talk very beneficial and interesting, as I learned some things I didn’t previously know. One specific thing that Jesse talked about that I had never thought about was how we are training the self-driving cars of the future. Whenever you see a CAPTCHA “I am not a robot” banners appear on your screen, and it asks you to identify the presence of certain objects, you are teaching technology to recognize these objects. Jesse pointed out that these photos we have to identify are always outdoors, which is teaching technology to recognize outdoor objects, which will in turn lead to the technology needed to make self-driving cars. I was surprised that I never thought of this because now that he said it, it seems so obvious. I have to admit, this is pretty smart, this makes training technology so much quicker and so much easier. Along with other points from this talk, this one stood out to me.
One of the other topics that was touched on during Jesse’s talk was the use of AI in the classroom. Jesse talked about how AI can be integrated with the 4 C’s of learning (critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration). Below, I have paraphrased some of his thoughts on using AI in the classroom;
- Critical Thinking: students can practice evaluating AI generated content, can you tell what is real and what is AI? How?
- Creativity: students can use AI to generate ideas or refine ideas they already had. How can they prompt AI to get it to create what they are picturing?
- Communication: students can use AI to practice having effective interactions. How do you communicate with each other? AI can help you work on that.
- Collaboration: students can work in groups to explore different things using AI. Can AI help your group get started on your project? How?
All of these points, and more, show that AI can be very beneficial in the classroom, and is a tool that can help students succeed. However, I have some issues with AI. As I was scrolling through TikTok, I came across a video talking about how AI is using a ton of our fresh water. According to this TikTok, a single Google search uses about 1mL of water to cool down the data systems, but a single search using AI uses about 500mL of water to cool down the data systems. In no way am I saying that TikTok is a reliable source to learn facts, however after doing some other research, here is what I found;
- Every website I have read online tells me a similar thing… AI is using a ton of water.
- AI uses significant amounts of energy, specifically electricity, which emits fossil fuels and pollutes the planet (Yao, 2024).
- AI uses large amounts of natural resources such as cobalt, silicon, and gold. Extracting these resources leads to pollution of the soil. (Yao, 2024).
- When parts are not recycled safely, electronic waste can further pollute the planet. (Yao, 2024).
Linked below is a YouTube video I watched on how AI can both benefit and harm the environment. I am unsure if this is a credible source for information, but I found it to be an interesting watch.
I appreciated hearing Jesse’s opinions on AI, but knowing what I know now, it is hard for me to see AI as a positive tool to be used in all classrooms. I understand that AI is everywhere and is basically unavoidable at this point, but I cannot see myself using AI by choice. I wish that more people were aware of these circumstances, and I plan to educate myself further on this topic. In the mean time, I will avoid using AI for personal benefits, and I will encourage others to do the same.
Sources:
Yao, Y. (2024, October 10). Can We Mitigate AI’s Environmental Impacts? Yale School of the Environment. https://environment.yale.edu/news/article/can-we-mitigate-ais-environmental-impacts
[WSJ Podcasts]. (2023, October 2). How AI Can Help and Hurt the Environment [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/JIYRf_K56b4?si=eOh5AucjM653X_P5