>The criticism cited in Wikipedia is totally unsubstantiated.
???
Odgers, Candice L. (March 29, 2024). "The great rewiring: is social media really behind an epidemic of teenage mental illness?". Nature. 628 (8006): 29–30. Bibcode:2024Natur.628...29O. doi:10.1038/d41586-024-00902-2. Archived from the original on September 10, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
And if you go to the article that has citations as well.
>While I doubt it's a boost in anything but productivity
If you look at the last chart it shows that students that spend the greatest amount of time using AI gets higher exam scores. It's not just "completes homework quicker".
>the negatives are simply too great to ignore.
That's... exactly what I said? I'm not sure how anyone can read "For most kids, AI is a detriment, but for a minority (smartest? most self motivated?) it's a boost" and get the impression that the negatives are fine because a tiny minority are getting better learning.
As someone who's read all of his books and experienced the generations being studied I'd say he's been spot on and is extremely knowledgeable. One study that does not propose alternative views and cites "selling a lot of books" comes off to me as someone with an agenda. No thanks.
> For most kids, AI is a detriment, but for a minority (smartest? most self motivated?) it's a boost.
Exactly. The educational system needs to be reformed to exalt and celebrate the minority boosted AI, and quickly shuttle those harmed into the trash. Our North Star needs to be AI technology and the returns of investors who support it. Everything else, including human beings, are unimportant and expendable. Tech first!
>Exactly. The educational system needs to be reformed to exalt and celebrate the minority boosted AI, and quickly shuttle those harmed into the trash.
I'm not sure how you got the impression that not being maximally rabid against AI (ie. recognizing there are benefits) implies I'm sort of AI bro that is willing to sacrifice the education of 80% (or whatever) of kids into the metaphorical woodchipper just so the remaining can get slightly better exam scores.
AI merely exposes the inherent flaws in how we do education (exams, especially failure) - which I personally and honestly don't have a solution for. Both the carrot and the stick rip out some of the gold that is human potential (while instilling some useful skills and behavior).
The knee-jerk reaction of banning AI is probably the wrong choice, people need to learn where the limits are, but I also wouldn't be able to suggest a framework where students aren't rewarded for skirting around being educated.
> AI merely exposes the inherent flaws in how we do education ... The knee-jerk reaction of banning AI is probably the wrong choice, people need to learn where the limits are
But you can't do that without a certain level of maturity.
> but I also wouldn't be able to suggest a framework where students aren't rewarded for skirting around being educated.
Well, then "knee-jerk" ban AI in schools... until you can suggest such a framework, and test it to show it works, and roll it out at a society-wide level.
Until then, you're just handing kids flamethrowers in a flammable environment
The push for AI adoption in K-8 is the one that strikes me as wrong. The Alpha School and other initiatives are pushing AI on groups for which we have dubious measures of impact. Ostensibly, they are doing this to avoid pushback from traditional curriculum requirements in high school and university - but those kids are going to end up there eventually.
Why would I believe that someone who can't use a mouse/computer is ready to be taught by AI?
> Why would I believe that someone who can't use a mouse/computer is ready to be taught by AI?
The human element is critical for teaching, in my opinion. (Great) teachers are able to smooth over some of my criticisms of education. I also believe we are very far off from it being able to do even a bad job at teaching. So I'm not suggesting that at all.
What I'm talking about is teaching students how to use it, especially when not to use it, and how to get better results from it. I don't think AI is going to replace us any time soon, but people who use AI will replace those who don't.
I reckon it's a similar issue to wikipedia when that became a resource available to us in school. Being taught how to use AI as a resource as opposed to 'the source' is the critical distinction. Which I guess is also the same issue when it comes to professionals and how they use AI
Ultimately it's the same issue across all technological tools. If the tools (AI, wikipedia, calculators, etc) can be used to complete work (or homework) without understanding the underlying fundamental concepts of the work being done, then you're hurting your education and/or professional development
Haidt doesn't have the greatest track record[1] when it comes to diagnosing society's ills, but in this case he does appear to be on the right side:
https://infographics.economist.com/2026/20260822_WOC963/
https://infographics.economist.com/2026/20260822_WOC965/
https://infographics.economist.com/2026/20260822_WOC839/
For most kids, AI is a detriment, but for a minority (smartest? most self motivated?) it's a boost.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Anxious_Generation#Academi...
Name me someone who has a great track record when it comes to such topics. The criticism cited in Wikipedia is totally unsubstantiated.
> For most kids, AI is a detriment, but for a minority (smartest? most self motivated?) it's a boost.
While I doubt it's a boost in anything but productivity, the negatives are simply too great to ignore.
>The criticism cited in Wikipedia is totally unsubstantiated.
???
Odgers, Candice L. (March 29, 2024). "The great rewiring: is social media really behind an epidemic of teenage mental illness?". Nature. 628 (8006): 29–30. Bibcode:2024Natur.628...29O. doi:10.1038/d41586-024-00902-2. Archived from the original on September 10, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
And if you go to the article that has citations as well.
>While I doubt it's a boost in anything but productivity
If you look at the last chart it shows that students that spend the greatest amount of time using AI gets higher exam scores. It's not just "completes homework quicker".
>the negatives are simply too great to ignore.
That's... exactly what I said? I'm not sure how anyone can read "For most kids, AI is a detriment, but for a minority (smartest? most self motivated?) it's a boost" and get the impression that the negatives are fine because a tiny minority are getting better learning.
As someone who's read all of his books and experienced the generations being studied I'd say he's been spot on and is extremely knowledgeable. One study that does not propose alternative views and cites "selling a lot of books" comes off to me as someone with an agenda. No thanks.
> For most kids, AI is a detriment, but for a minority (smartest? most self motivated?) it's a boost.
Exactly. The educational system needs to be reformed to exalt and celebrate the minority boosted AI, and quickly shuttle those harmed into the trash. Our North Star needs to be AI technology and the returns of investors who support it. Everything else, including human beings, are unimportant and expendable. Tech first!
>Exactly. The educational system needs to be reformed to exalt and celebrate the minority boosted AI, and quickly shuttle those harmed into the trash.
I'm not sure how you got the impression that not being maximally rabid against AI (ie. recognizing there are benefits) implies I'm sort of AI bro that is willing to sacrifice the education of 80% (or whatever) of kids into the metaphorical woodchipper just so the remaining can get slightly better exam scores.
AI merely exposes the inherent flaws in how we do education (exams, especially failure) - which I personally and honestly don't have a solution for. Both the carrot and the stick rip out some of the gold that is human potential (while instilling some useful skills and behavior).
The knee-jerk reaction of banning AI is probably the wrong choice, people need to learn where the limits are, but I also wouldn't be able to suggest a framework where students aren't rewarded for skirting around being educated.
> AI merely exposes the inherent flaws in how we do education ... The knee-jerk reaction of banning AI is probably the wrong choice, people need to learn where the limits are
But you can't do that without a certain level of maturity.
> but I also wouldn't be able to suggest a framework where students aren't rewarded for skirting around being educated.
Well, then "knee-jerk" ban AI in schools... until you can suggest such a framework, and test it to show it works, and roll it out at a society-wide level.
Until then, you're just handing kids flamethrowers in a flammable environment
The push for AI adoption in K-8 is the one that strikes me as wrong. The Alpha School and other initiatives are pushing AI on groups for which we have dubious measures of impact. Ostensibly, they are doing this to avoid pushback from traditional curriculum requirements in high school and university - but those kids are going to end up there eventually.
Why would I believe that someone who can't use a mouse/computer is ready to be taught by AI?
> Why would I believe that someone who can't use a mouse/computer is ready to be taught by AI?
The human element is critical for teaching, in my opinion. (Great) teachers are able to smooth over some of my criticisms of education. I also believe we are very far off from it being able to do even a bad job at teaching. So I'm not suggesting that at all.
What I'm talking about is teaching students how to use it, especially when not to use it, and how to get better results from it. I don't think AI is going to replace us any time soon, but people who use AI will replace those who don't.
I reckon it's a similar issue to wikipedia when that became a resource available to us in school. Being taught how to use AI as a resource as opposed to 'the source' is the critical distinction. Which I guess is also the same issue when it comes to professionals and how they use AI
The problem is not using AI to get some easy answers, it's using it to do all homework, and cheat on exams.
Agreed.
Ultimately it's the same issue across all technological tools. If the tools (AI, wikipedia, calculators, etc) can be used to complete work (or homework) without understanding the underlying fundamental concepts of the work being done, then you're hurting your education and/or professional development