The Role of AI in Modern Education
While some individuals use artificial intelligence (AI) to plan their holidays or create entertaining videos, a 14-year-old high school student from Sydney, Hafsa Faizan, is leveraging the technology to enhance her debating abilities. Hafsa, who recently started high school, has witnessed the growing presence of AI-powered chatbots in mainstream media.
Despite the fact that platforms like ChatGPT are blocked on her school’s computers, Hafsa believes AI has significantly enhanced her learning experience at home. She uses it to make her studying more interactive rather than passive. Instead of simply reading notes, she converts them into flashcards and quizzes to improve her memory retention.
“I’ll finish an assignment and then I’ll give it to AI to provide feedback on what I could improve on, including any arguments it suggests,” she explained.
Hafsa has also integrated AI into her hobbies outside of school. She participates in numerous debating competitions and has used AI to generate topics, arguments, and rebuttals for preparation. She finds the technology beneficial for skill development and learning new concepts.
Enhancing Productivity and Creativity
Hafsa is part of a growing number of students who have incorporated AI into their education. Recent polling by the NSW Office of Youth revealed that 70% of the 2,300 young people surveyed used AI regularly in the past 12 months. Many reported positive impacts, such as improved learning support, increased productivity, and enhanced creativity.
However, concerns about over-reliance on AI and its potential effects on job opportunities and the environment have also been raised. Katherine McKernan, the NSW Advocate for Children and Young People, emphasized the need for government and education sectors to address these issues.
“Young people are really leading the way in terms of using and embracing AI and seeing its potential … what we need to do is catch up in terms of the supports that we’re providing and the systems and regulations of things,” she said.
The research also highlighted that one in four young people turned to AI chatbots for personal advice and mental health support. Ms. McKernan stressed the importance of monitoring this trend and ensuring safe usage.
“The Department of Education is developing an EduChat AI tool that can be used within schools and for students, which I think is a really good example of encouraging safe use and use in a way that is going to encourage learning,” she added.
Balancing AI Use in Education
Hafsa has explored the role of AI in education through a TEDx Talk, where she received mixed feedback. Some people disagreed with her views, which she acknowledged as valid due to the concerns surrounding AI.
“We don’t have access to [AI] in school and I don’t think that’s the right way to approach it because it’s really just shying away from it rather than figuring out how we can use it to help us,” she said.
Hafsa emphasized that AI cannot replace the role of teachers in schools but can serve as a supportive tool. In a classroom setting, one teacher may not be able to cater to the needs of 30 students individually. However, AI can identify each student’s strengths and weaknesses.
Preparing for the Future
Looking ahead, Hafsa believes the workforce should embrace AI rather than fear it. While she acknowledges that AI may replace certain jobs, especially repetitive ones, she points out that similar changes have occurred with previous technological advancements.
“AI can’t replace human creativity and critical thinking and those will be the skills that will be valued and that we will need,” she said.
