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OPINION

Fr. Lazar Arasu

By Fr. Lazar Arasu SDB

In a casual conversation with a senior education officer in the Ministry of Education, Sports and Technology I asked, ‘What do you think about AI in education?’ And he candidly replied, ‘You mean “Artificial Intelligence,” and he continued, ‘Honestly, though I hear about it these days, I do not know much about it.’ Then with a deep sigh he self-confessed, “What to do, we are many years behind in these innovations and we need to catch up with it.”

Education is openness to learning. In the modern times, it is embracing all the innovations and revolutions in the learning process. If we fail to do it or even be slow in adopting to the fast-developing innovations we will be pushed aside and become obsolete. In the field of education and technology no one wants to be obsolete. An educator cannot and should not become an antediluvian—primitive and irrelevant.

Education is being creative, ingenious and imaginative. These qualities will come only if we are open to the fast progressing trends in learning process and embracing the modern means of learning. We can confidently say that not many people in the field of education in Uganda know even the rudiments of Artificial Intelligence which has been in the world of science and learning for the past three decades or so.

Let us briefly turn to ChatGPT, a popular tool in AI, defined as ‘…an AI-based conversational agent developed by OpenAI. It is built on the GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) architecture, which is designed to understand and generate human-like text based on the input it receives.’ (The definition suggested by ChatGPT). Those who have used this, know that in a fraction of a second this AI tool can give you many pages of reading materials.

In simple terms, ChatGPT is a virtual assistant that can give you answers to any question under the sun. It is a good informative tool that can tickle your curiosity to begin learning something that you are green about. This tool explains AI as ‘a computer system that performs tasks that usually require human intelligence.’ Thus our task of learning—gathering data, analyzing, understanding, problem solving and storing of information is made simple.

Though the meaning of ‘artificial’ means something not real, fake, unreal and imitation, the information that we have received is certainly not fake and bogus. It is sensible, understandable and quickly available. So AI is machine assisted learning, deep learning that processes the natural language, and uses high tech human like machines that are capable of performing physical tasks in the real world.

AI can certainly enforce the learning process, perform tasks cheaply and efficiently. It is only up to our imagination how we can employ this gift of science to our advantage and benefit.

Not all scientific innovations bring about only good things. Often tend to be used for destruction and inhuman activities. It is the prerogative and informed choice that the user uses for the progress of all people in every place and situation. Recently the Uganda National Examination Board complaint that AI was used for malpractices in the recent examinations and those results were withheld.

Like other scientific tools, AI has its own drawbacks; it lacks emotional understanding and cannot appeal to the user’s feelings. It often gives misinterpreted responses and give irrelevant suggestions. Besides giving inaccurate answers, they can be inappropriate and unfitting, thus creating compromising situations. Their answers can be biased and stereotyped as its creator.

A few months ago creative artists in Hollywood went on an industrial strike complaining that AI is down playing their creativity, ingenuity and resourcefulness. Profit minded entrepreneurs often turn to AI for their production and expansion of their business rather than human beings who have prepared themselves through study and hard work. When it comes to profits, people begin giving importance to efficiency rather than efficacy—giving due respect to human worth. Thus AI can make its users become over-dependent on it and kill human creativity and originality.

Thus a serious debate can be had on “Should students be allowed to use AI for study or they should not be allowed?” As we have cited a few drawbacks, we can also highlight many advantages and benefits of using AI in study and research. AI can be used as a customized learning tool suited to the needs of an individual learner. A personalized help from AI can be a good help to the learner. It can be very efficient and convenient for a learner as these tools are available anytime and everywhere. Students can find tons of materials for reading and researching. One can make his own time and schedule of study.

We are all more and more aware of Online lectures and Online platforms for meetings and sharing. Now when AI is incorporated, improved engagement and collaboration is possible among learners, tutors and other facilitators, often for a very minimum cost. It is also possible to get instant feedback on work done and latest innovations created.

In the light of all the benefits seen and projected, it is good to evaluate our own local situations in Uganda in the use and supervision of AI in learning, especially those in lower institutions. Government has shown interest in promoting sciences by better facilitating the science tutors and spending more on research. That is the way to go. Uganda cannot be left behind in this important field of innovations in science. It has to start from the lower level.

Government can at least identify a few schools, both government and private and begin a pilot programme to introduce AI and study the feasibility of extending to other schools. The Ministry of Education through the higher institutions identify teachers and computer trained specialists who can prepare a curriculum to initiate AI training in schools and monitor its progress. Schools that are already teaching computers as a subject can be facilitated with funds, equipment and training to begin teaching AI for senior students; teachers can be the first beneficiary of this pilot project.

It is also important that before we think of Artificial Intelligence and their tools, various stakeholders need to look into the other important infrastructures that are vital for the establishment of this higher level of technological training. We need to look into stable supply of electricity, internet connectivity and its affordability, reasonable quality of computers and tutors with the minimum skill to learn and teach AI among the beginners.

Let us remember that: AI tools can make learning easier, more efficient and stimulating learners to learn even other subjects. Let us begin to think of rules and guidelines in regulating this learning on matters of privacy, plagiarism and other ethical issues. Let technology be our guide and motivating factor in learning and progress in life.

The writer is Headmaster, Don Bosco Secondary School, Atede-Omoro