Artificial Intelligence has transformed the way people do business and find information. Responses to this latest technology have varied from fearful avoidance to unbridled acceptance. Feelings aside, a simple evaluation of its capabilities would impress even the greatest skeptic. Parents and schools must employ wisdom and discernment as they consider how to engage with this new technology. Fortunately, the LORD promises to provide it to those who ask (James 1:5).
By its own estimation, AI is improving education by personalizing learning, automating administrative tasks, enhancing accessibility, creating content, analyzing data, providing virtual assistants, and “gamifying” the learning experience. Some of these offerings are compelling. The ability to scour a database for information and fine-tune the results could benefit research for papers or presentations. Curating content and explaining concepts may excite curiosity and promote further investigation.
However, in the pursuit of virtue, we must consider our steps carefully. Emphasizing the dangers may be “showing my hand”, but it’s prudent to be cautious with novel ideas. Here are 3 principles to consider.
The first, and most obvious, is this: cheating is always a sin. AI can create thesis papers in moments. A student could simply type a prompt, which was provided by the teacher, and press “enter”. Then, the student could turn it in for a grade. If the assignment is to write an essay, having AI compose it is as much an ethical violation as asking a classmate to do it for you. Presenting someone (or something) else’s work as your own is lying.
Second, accuracy is your responsibility. This is more of a potential hazard because the data isn’t inherently faulty. Banks and Law Firms use AI to produce reports and draft pleadings with millions of dollars, entire companies, and professional reputations at stake. The reason they use AI with confidence is the database restrictions. Lots of money is spent developing boundaries to restrict where the information is pulled from. Bankers and attorneys who have ventured into open source “waters” have paid the price when AI provided information that fit their inquiry but didn’t actually exist. These occurrences, referred to as “hallucinations”, have made headlines. Wikipedia was banned in most schools many years ago for similar reasons. Verifying the information you find is an extra step, but it’s essential when you’re dealing with finances, the law, and, yes, even research papers for school. If you present something as fact, you are culpable for those words whether spoken or written.
Finally, cultivating virtue takes time and effort. This last principle for using AI in education has the strongest connection to our goal, but it is also the most difficult to determine. When you add a tool, efficiency increases. When you remove a challenge, skill decreases. A craftsman is grateful for a table saw, and an engineer is benefited by a calculator. Their tools aid in the completion of projects, but they don’t do all the work for them. In writing, whether it’s a poem or a thesis paper, AI can do more than edit grammar usage. It can generate an entire piece while adhering to a particular style and following any number of guidelines. Conversely, reading and thinking take time and effort. During that time, crucial learning abilities are developed. Expediency can be achieved with AI, but more will be lost than gained. Skills and virtues developed over time will be forfeited in pursuit of ease disguised as efficiency.
Cheating is always a sin. Accuracy is your responsibility. Cultivating virtue takes time and effort. While there are dangers associated with using Artificial Intelligence, especially in education, we’re only beginning to see the potential benefits it can have when utilized properly. A principled approach will help us steward it well.
