Post #5 | Part 2: A.I. in Classrooms... The Good, the Bad, the Ugly

Remove the rose-coloured glasses: the dark side of AI in education.

---

Last week, I explored the idea of implementing AI in the classroom. With that, I focused on highlighting the advantages of this for students and teachers as well as even the advantages for the school and the school board/district. There is no doubt about it – AI is trickling into education whether we like it or not. Schiff (2021) states that AI will actually surpass human knowledge by the end of the century. Its impact and power with knowledge puts it at the forefront of education matters. Despite the curiosity and advantages that come with it, there is a dark side to artificial intelligence in education (AIEd) that educators, students, parents and policy makers need to be aware of and be proactive about.

Source: https://www.analyticssteps.com/blogs/when-artificial-intelligence-ai-and-neuroscience-meet

In Schiff’s article, he outlines three main concerns with AI –

1. Failure to consider implementation (i.e. cost funding, PD/training)

2. Assumption of technological linearity (i.e. constant evolution that is unfathomable to us today)

3. The need for human interaction (i.e. teacher–student interaction) (Schiff, 2021)

All three of these points are applicable to the context of education in traditional and non-traditional environments and they offer an opportunity to critically analyze the inevitable impacts that AI will have and the risks associated with it. It also reiterates the importance of another point from my second blog post – the importance of educators and school boards and provinces to be PROACTIVE versus REACTIVE on the parameters around AI in schools and education.

Schiff’s three main points encompass many effects of AIEd which I will break out into a chart that outlines the disadvantages, or rather, causes for concern of incorporating AI into classrooms too soon and without contemplation. There are major points that will need to be addresses at the school-level to the national level which will require collaboration between stakeholders and input from various experts keeping in mind the values/philosophies of education, trajectory of the future, and safety of students.

It is important to note that these risks/disadvantages consider AI in the evolution of AI in the future and when it is already embedded in education. There are comparisons to online learning, and there is some consideration that AI may take education “online” and eventually simulate teachers.

DISADVANTAGES/ RISKS/ CAUSES for CONCERN

STUDENTS	TEACHERS	SCHOOL/SCHOOL BOARD/ PROVINCE
Less exposure to risk & failure = a true component to learning Technology addiction AI can be inequitable (favouring different pedagogy, learning styles, educational systems) Distance education has contributed to dropout rates (assuming AI leads educations to ind. Learning) Lack of socialization into professional norms/cultures Lack of social/emotional skills and learning opportunities Storage of student information (original ideas, shared feelings, personal info) Manipulation/ corruptibility of student cognition Faced with ongoing contemplation of evaluating the legitimacy of information	Lack of connection between students AI can be assuming of educational norms – classroom values, curriculum topics, pedagogy, goals Difficulty to intrinsically motivate, challenge, provide leadership opportunities to students Challenge the importance of a teacher’s role & possible displacement Possible lack of agency in AIEd decision-making impacting their profession Biased curriculum unaware of the social context of students	Cost of purchasing AI for schools when there is a price Cost/ efforts to provide ongoing training and professional development for teachers Never-ending change and constant revisions of policies/ expectations in curriculum and use in schools as it advances Poses equity challenges among student access Financial motives interfering with the best interests of students Investment in evolving infrastructure School accountability and possible public scrutiny due to AI technology used Technology hi-jacking

Table contents: Schiff, 2021

All of these seem to be disadvantages now, but who knows? In 5 years… 1 year, or 6 months, AI bots may recognize their user, detect emotions, track attention, or even passivity in dialogue and be able to differentiate for learners (Schiff, 2021).

Source: https://www.mygreatlearning.com/blog/brain-inspired-artificial-intelligence/

Considering the realness of incorporating AI in education, it’s crucial to consider both pros and cons of AI and the impact on young minds. I think it’s fair to say that society will certainly feel a shift as AI becomes a similar and as accessible a

tool for students like a calculator is. There are certainly ethical, societal, and technical risks with AI that will be ongoing and require immediate attention and difficult decision making before the official implementation of AI.

I know I have just grazed the surface when reflecting on these considerations – If you think of any, let me know in the comments!

---

References

Schiff D. (2021). Out of the laboratory and into the classroom: the future of artificial intelligence in education. AI & society, 36(1), 331–348. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-020-01033-8

Sciforce. (2019, December 5). AI at the classroom: The good, the bad and the ugly. Medium. https://medium.com/sciforce/ai-at-the-classroom-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-8dd7a1b4085c