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Generative AI Will Revolutionize Education—If Challenges are Met

• By John K. Waters
• 05/31/2024

Like it or not, AI is being integrated into education. It comes with great potential to enhance learning as well as  the ability to address issues such as educator burnout and the limitations of standardized testing. But it also comes with some serious challenges, including ethical considerations and the need for personalized data.

In a lively panel discussion at the GenAI Summit 2024 in San Francisco this week, experts in artificial intelligence and education gathered to explore the transformative potential of generative AI in reshaping the classroom of the future. The discussion, titled "AI and Education: Building the Future Classroom," featured prominent voices in the field who shared insights on how AI technologies can enhance learning experiences and address longstanding educational challenges.

The session was led by Hamza Farooq, Adjunct Professor at UCLA's Anderson School of Management, Lecturer for Stanford University Continuing Studies, and founder of traversal.ai. He pointed to what is widely seen as a significant shift from traditional classroom settings to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. "The pandemic forced everyone to attend online courses and complete their education remotely," Farooq said, setting the stage for a conversation on the future of education in the age of generative AI.

Bryan Talebi, CEO and co-founder of Ahura AI, emphasized the potential of AI to revolutionize education by enabling personalized learning experiences. "We invented technology that allows people to learn three to five times faster than traditional education methods," said Talebi, who has a background in building satellites at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. "The role of teachers will shift towards focusing on the psychosocial development of students, while AI provides hyper-personalized teaching."

Yao Du, a clinical assistant professor in speech-language pathology at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, shared her experience integrating AI tools into her curriculum. "I spent the summer teaching my students how to use ChatGPT for their assignments," she said. "It levels the playing field for all students and enhances productivity while maintaining ethical considerations around data privacy."

Derrek Gong, is the Founder of CoursePals, a startup focused on education technology, and a Stanford master's student, discussed the practical applications of AI in education. "Our product integrates GPT with group chat to facilitate better interaction between professors and students," Gong explained. "AI can handle repetitive tasks, allowing professors to focus on more intellectually rewarding aspects of teaching."

The panel also addressed concerns about AI's impact on employment. Talebi acknowledged the potential for significant job displacement but stressed the importance of retraining workers for the jobs of tomorrow. "We need to find a way to retrain one to two billion adults over the next five to six years," he said. "If we don't, we could face mass suffering, war, and civil unrest."

As the discussion concluded, the panelists agreed on the need for a balanced approach to AI integration in education, ensuring that technology enhances rather than replaces human interaction. "AI is here to reinforce our learning and clinical services, not replace us," Du said.

The GenAI Summit's final session underscored the critical role of AI in shaping the future of education, promising a future where technology and human expertise coexist to create more effective and inclusive learning environments.

This year's GenAI Summit, underway this week in San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts, is the second annual event organized by GPT Dao, a global generative AI community. According to event organizers, this year's summit drew an estimated 10,000 attendees and 300 exhibitors. The list of exhibitors at this year's conference includes Microsoft, IBM, and Amazon. (A complete list is available on the conference website.)

("Dao" stands for Decentralized Autonomous Organization. Dao's operate based on smart contracts executed on a decentralized network, typically a blockchain, which allows for decentralized decision making and control over the organization’s assets and operations.)

GPT Dao provides a range of services to its community, including Web3 and AI project incubation, GPT investment research education, and AI infrastructure services. It also provides a platform for community governance designed to allow members to propose, discuss, and vote on changes, new features, and/or initiatives. It also provides a decentralized crowdfunding platform that allows anyone to invest in or contribute to a project, regardless of their location or financial status.