Throughout history, technology has played a transformative role in shaping societies, reframing economies, and changing the way we produce and consume knowledge. Waves of technological advancement have always been associated with ripples of hope and societal aspirations as well as anxiety and cautious anticipation of the disruption. The recent breakthrough in generative artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities is another example, yet with a breathtaking speed [1]. The accelerated pace with which generative AI has evolved has broadened these fears among many [2, 3]. In tandem with the pace, generative AI is also spreading to novel areas and applications almost every day [4]. Whereas technology and innovation are facts of life, the disruption has always affected manual and low-skilled jobs. This is not the case with AI. The latest generative AI has proven to replicate high cognitive functions that were long believed to be an exclusive preserve of highly educated humans. In layman's terms, there is a new player in town and the word is that the new player will take over the whole town [5].
1. Introduction
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Furthermore, the world is messy, chaotic, and far from perfect and so is the data that has been fed into AI models [9]. The rush to embed AI into real-life applications without proper guardrails or audits has resulted in catastrophic results that affected the most vulnerable factions of society. A large strain of such examples extend from education to tax evaluation. Unfortunately, these problems continue to appear on a daily basis. Take for example Google Gemini which was accused of racism just last month and the long strands of examples of gender, racial, and political bias that flood social media from other generative AI models. It is inconceivable to think that any benefits can outweigh the possible harms that are possible if AI is abused or misused if it falls into the wrong hands given what we have experienced when it is in the “right hands” [10].
Reliance on AI will probably depend on sanitizing AI and making AI byproducts safe, accurate, consistent, and devoid of bias. So far, the progress in AI has been evolving hand in hand with cracks and loopholes appearing in AI models. Only the future will tell if we will be able to harness the transformative power of AI or live with an unrestrained monster. Education has to be prepared for either situation by making critical AI literacy a central component of our curricula. Critical AI literacy entails being able to evaluate and question AI systems and tools, as well as their safety and judgment. This requires students to understand, not only how to make use of AI tools, but also —to some extent— the underlying mechanisms of how AI works to be aware of potential biases and unfair situations, as well as the limitations of what AI can do. Only then, our students will be prepared for whatever the future will bring.
In conclusion, the transformative potential of AI in education is undeniable. However, we can only realize such aspirations if we approach AI with a critical lens. To do so, we must equip students with critical AI literacy to empower them to navigate the complexities and ensure that AI works for the welfare of humanity. This critical literacy will not only provide students with the skills needed to succeed in the future job market but also help build a generation of responsible AI users who can leverage this technology for the greater good and avoid its drawbacks. 2. References