The relentless march of 'AI'

I can see may benefits of the ChatGPT-like 'AI' - I use quotes on purpose because I reject the concept that these in any way fulfill the promise of the 'I'. I have used it to generate simple program code, for example for some function or other that I need, but in such cases I am able to check the code is actually correct in its intended function. I have tried with more complex code and found the system to be lacking.

Aside from coding I often use the Duck.AI product for simple tasks such as time calculations or general knowledge where I can judge the answer. But complex questions on subjects I am well aware of often fail and sometimes become completely wrong.

The danger is, as many will be aware if you cannot fathom the answer - you cannot judge it to be accurate for example - then you may believe it and take it as truth. 

When I think about the use of ChatGPT-like 'AI' in teaching I am reminded of the film Real Genius from 1985. There were some linked scenes where at first some students would leave tape recorders to record the lecture, later with almost all the students doing the same, and finally the lecture itself was given by a tape recorder to a room basically filed with tape recorders. As an aside, I had no recall of the name of the film so I asked Duck.AI which gave the wrong name twice so I hit Google and finally got the name, which Duck.AI agreed with when challenged.

Ronald Purser has a very good writeup about the issues within higher education. He not only focuses on the fact that students submit AI-generated work but also that AI is becoming woven into the very fabric of higher education to the extent that "universities are teaching everyone—students, faculty, administrators—to stop thinking". [1] Part of my work was to chase academic fakes both within and outside the organisation I worked for. I came across a number of people with fake degrees plus a number of peple who had clearly plagarised much of, if not all of their work. But what when the universities themselves become so diluted by ChatGPT-like services that learning actually stops? How different then a degree from some university to one from a fake degree mill?

Now let me be clear. I have no actual objection to any of these tools, nor would anyone be bothered if I did. They can be really useful but they need to be used correctly and I do not think that they are. Crowbarring this technology into every aspect of modern life is a huge risk.

[1] https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/ai-is-destroying-the-university-and-learning-itself