As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more widespread, it is important to understand and use it in a way that is beneficial to others. Artificial intelligence could be used to help students learn at their own place while still making sure they fully understand and grasp all the facts and concepts in the curriculum. Although artificial intelligence could hinder creativity, using it in a way that complements instead of fully taking over an idea could be a possible way to make sure it benefits everyone involved and gets results that help improve the world.

This brings me to a recent discovery I have made-the existence of schools that implement AI into their students’ learning.  As social media and technology becomes more widespread and reaches younger ages, there has been a noticeable change in attention spans. I have noticed that recently I have seen many teachers announce that their students lack attention and respect for them and their teaching more than any generation previously. With that said, schools called Alpha Schools have students spending the first two hours learning coursework from AI, cutting the school time to two instead of six or seven hours, which could help students retain attention and hopefully motivation. According to CBS news, “[a]dults in the classroom are called guides, not teachers, and earn six-figure salaries. Their job is to encourage and motivate.” These guides help students learn to connect and make sure they have social skills while learning. After the two hours end, students then learn and practice life skills in workshops for the rest of the time, such as entrepreneurship and coding. These workshops allow them to fulfill and explore their passions instead of being completely locked into a set curriculum. Personally, I think this is a good idea to teach life skills because otherwise people may end up being in college without knowing how to cook, do their laundry or other necessary tasks for daily function. Additionally, the website claims that they have some of the top performers and grow their intelligence at greater speeds. It describes that they have “[c]ampuses in Austin, San Francisco, Miami, LA, Washington DC, Dallas, and other metropolitan areas—and more locations launching soon.”

However, as most things do, these schools and artificial intelligence have their flaws. One of the first cons is that, from what I have seen, these schools cost from $40,000 to $75,000 a year to attend, which could pose a problem for families who cannot afford it. Another that perhaps could be a flaw is that artificial intelligence, at least at this point in time, can spread and give false information which could interfere with learning the correct curriculum and true facts. However, it could be possible if they have a set curriculum and facts that the students will use and then just implement AI to make it easier for every student to learn at their own pace.

In conclusion, these artificial intelligence schools give us insight on what the future may hold regarding education. However, are they a good or bad idea? Let me know your opinion.

Sources:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alpha-school-artificial-intelligence/

https://alpha.school/