By Arabella Ceralde
Every day, students and faculty engage with artificial intelligence (AI), whether they intend to or not. As companies like Microsoft and Google increasingly promote AI solutions, its presence becomes ever more ingrained in daily life.
“I’m frustrated by how AI is being pushed on me in almost every aspect of my life,” stated Jason Naylor, a professor at the University of Louisville.
In a discussion with Professor Naylor, he highlighted the significant advantages AI brings to the field of meteorology. AI serves as an invaluable asset for analyzing vast datasets and recognizing patterns.
It is no surprise that AI can be an immensely useful resource. However, ethical considerations arise when working with AI—not only because the technology needs to evolve, but also because students must adapt accordingly. Increased exposure to AI tools makes it challenging to avoid dependency on this technology.
The generation of designs by AI relies on the data it has been trained on. Human artists have poured time and effort into their artwork, which is often used as fodder for generative AI programs. These programs, meant to innovate labor and efficiency, often mimic human creativity without true understanding. When AI generates responses, images, or other types of media, it may produce content that is essentially plagiarized.
“It’s consuming essentially copyrighted material without permission, putting those creative individuals out of work,” remarked Professor Naylor.
Every minute seems to bring yet another advertisement promoting AI for creative design, visual arts, and even foundational tasks like note-taking. One application, Base 44, enables users to build apps using simple prompts without any coding knowledge. Doesn’t this undermine the importance of learning the basics of coding?
Integrating AI into higher education necessitates a careful balance. Memory Crawford, a mechanical engineering student, strives to use AI as a tool rather than a hindrance to her education.
For one project, an instructor requested that Crawford write code using AI right after a coding lesson. She found it puzzling, as manually coding would have reinforced the skills she had just learned.
“But then it’s limited by the use of AI because you’re not actually practicing,” said Crawford. “And that’s from a professor’s recommendation,”
As AI continues to evolve and efficiently complete simple tasks, we risk becoming overly reliant on it. This reliance could lead to the gradual complexity of tasks that may ultimately threaten employment opportunities. Not only does AI jeopardize critical thinking and job prospects for UofL students, but it also undermines fundamental human learning.
In conclusion, while AI offers undeniable benefits, it also presents significant challenges and ethical dilemmas. Striking a balance between leveraging this technology and ensuring genuine learning remains crucial for students and educators alike.
