By Evridiki Fatolia,
Nowadays, technological advancement has led to extensive use of artificial intelligence. It is often used in various scientific fields like medicine, but AI has also started being part of the educational procedure. To be more specific, it has created different applications based on it that help students to overcome any obstacle they may face with their assignments. The most popular one is ChatGPT which can already be detected by a simple plagiarism control. However, the possible excessive use of AI in the field of education creates a lot of concerns.
To begin with, AI algorithms can sometimes perpetuate existing biases and prejudices present in society. This can lead to discriminatory outcomes, particularly for marginalized communities. Such phenomena can be dangerous for every democratic state and can – of course – influence everyone who believes what they read. The educational system should be able to guarantee the absence of any discrimination or unfairness. Secondly, AI in education can provide personalized learning experiences, but it cannot replace the benefits of human interaction. Students may miss important social and emotional learning opportunities if they primarily interact with AI systems.
It is obvious that AI uses a more static type of language; as a result, even the cultural identity connected to the language may face extinction in the future. Thus, AI systems often rely on collecting and analyzing large amounts of student data. This can raise concerns about privacy and security, particularly if this data is not properly protected or if it falls into the wrong hands. Children’s personal data are protected by the GDPR (in EU countries) and other pieces of legislation as a specific category of sensitive data.
The main concern, regarding the use of AI in education, is that it may lead to an overreliance on technology, which can limit the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. If the use of technological means overlaps with the ability to distinguish information and think critically, then unfortunately the education system will fail. One of the most significant things that education can provide to young people is that it equips them with a proper way of thinking. In other words, they learn to investigate and generate their own opinions and not only adjust them into a recitation system. Besides, the development and implementation of AI in education can be expensive, which may limit access to these technologies for some schools and students. It also needs to be said that AI could lead to significant changes in how education is delivered, which could disrupt traditional teaching methods and lead to job losses for educators unprepared to adapt to new technologies.
Last but not least, AI systems can be complex and difficult to understand, which could lead to a lack of transparency around how decisions are made. This could make it challenging for educators and students to understand why certain recommendations or outcomes are being achieved. Overall, while there are many potential benefits to using AI in education, it is important to carefully consider these risks and challenges and work to mitigate them. Education must remain focused on the development of well-rounded individuals who can thrive in an increasingly complex and technology-driven world, without losing sight of the importance of human interaction and critical thinking skills.
