I loved writing essays and see the value for a student in knowing how to state a case and back it up with evidence, what counts as evidence, and the importance of clearly communicating the ideas.
That said, I also use AI to write copy daily and the most important thing for anyone’s cognition is critical thinking and reading comprehension, both of which AI is going to teach us whether we want it or not. Critical analysis is the only way we can navigate the future.
Maybe this is another Great Filter for technologically advancing critters?
Argues for the importance of student essays, and then:
When artificial intelligence is used to diagnose cancer or automate soul-crushing tasks that require vapid toiling, it makes us more human and should be celebrated.
I remember student essays as being soul-crushing vapid toiling, personally.
The author is very fixated on the notion that these essays are vital parts of human education. Is he aware that for much of human history - and even today, in many regions of the world - essay-writing like this wasn’t so important? I think one neat element of AI’s rise will be the growth of some other methods of teaching that have fallen by the wayside. Socratic dialogue, debate, personal one-on-one tutoring.
I’ve been teaching myself some new APIs and programming techniques recently, for example, and I’m finding it way easier having an AI to talk me through it than it is grinding my way through documentation directly.
It IS easier than reading the documentation, just like using a GPS is easier than reading a map.
In both cases, the harder task helps you build a mental model much better than the easier task.
For the GPS it doesn’t really matter much, since the stakes are low–it’s not important to build a mental model of a city if you can always use GPS.
With programming I’m more cautious – not knowing what you’re doing can lead to serious harms. Just look at the Therac.
I’m not writing code for a medical device. I’m tinkering with a mod for a game. I can’t imagine how getting something wrong would do any greater harm than wasting some of my time.
There are kids who find exercise soil-crushing vapid toiling too.
Just for some perspective on “what’s good for you.” I personally think I’d have been more successful in life if I was better at essay writing. But I’m not sure if it’s a practice thing, or an innate ability thing. I have to assume I just need(ed) lots more practice and guidance.
I’m also on a similar path right now learning more about programming. AI is helping me understand larger structures, and reinforcing my understanding and use of coding terminology. Even if I’m not writing code, I need to be able to talk about it a bit better to interact with the AI optimally.
But this need to speak in a more optimum way may go away as AI gets better. That’s the thing I worry about, the AI crossing a threshold where you can kind of just grunt at it and get what you want. But maybe Idiocracy is on my mind there.
… just some random thoughts.
I never minded studying, but always hated writing essays, even though pretty good at it.
How do we train people to think, and validate that they learned, when they can outsource it to a computer?
The author alludes to oral exams, though they have a whole host of other issues.
