Fully agree with your assessment of where education is at. I’m definitely experiencing this as a teacher. The problem is indeed, in the UK at least, the life-impacting high stakes exams we are forced to teach “to” : the GCSEs at 15/16 and the A levels at 18. These cannot be changed by schools, nor can we opt out of these.
Until those shift, we are largely stuck with integrating AI as best we can DESPITE the immovability of the Dept for Education which ultimately dictates the system.
There is little political will to completely rethink education. Much like climate change: the science and the evidence couldn’t be more obvious, but no meaningful action is taken.
With how quickly our society is changing and unable to keep up with this pace, I think it’s time that we begin to ask these questions not of other humans, but of AI itself. After all, AI has been trained on all the literature and writings of human society on the Internet. By focusing our questions not to each other but to AI perhaps it will find remixed answers that we have not seen before. And will help us to keep up with the rapidly changing pace that AI itself is causing.
Thank you for naming these urgent AI truths. I’d add that this challenge is not limited to high school education, but extends to every sector: higher education, the military, government, economics, healthcare—no area is adapting fast enough to the tidal wave of change.
But what if the very tool that unsettles us—AI—could also become our partner in building the future? Rather than clinging to outdated methods and the limits of our individual minds, why not invite AI into the process of reimagining what our systems could become? Instead of using only our slow, legacy thinking, we can co-create with AI to envision and implement more just, efficient, and compassionate structures for society.
Perhaps the answer to the disruptions brought by AI is to let the tool itself help us dream, design, and actualize new ways of learning, governing, healing, and living. The change is daunting—but the tool that is bringing the change may also be the key to moving forward with hope, wisdom, and vision.
What if, instead of resisting, we begin to ask AI to help us build the world we truly want?
Yes - I talk mostly about high schools since this is the institution I know best. I generally try to stay in my lane :) But it's clear the disruptions will be almost everywhere. Some fields are better suited than others to respond quickly. Historically, education has not been one of them. There is a lot of hope in your optimistic scenario but the speed and unpredictability of the changes coming means we really need to work together to get it right.
Wonderful piece, Steve. I had heard about RAIL but just spent some time on the website based on your description. Was surprised to see "pace layering" in the headline and to hear your description of the training.
This is a phenomenal piece that deserves much wider distribution, which I will try to do now. You are that all of education is still trying to figure out, if at all, how to make best use of AI in instruction. You ask all the right questions, we are all struggling with coming up with a process of how even to come up with the right answers -- perhaps one of your next topics.
Thanks, Bob. I'm really struggling with the debate within the Substack community. No one knows what to do. There are real issues all around. Trying to think through my own experience with students and take into account many of the opinions and views of others. I do think it's going to be the educational challenge of the day. Schools will approach it differently so we will get some evidence of what works and what doesn't. But I feel strongly (at least right now!) that banning it is not the answer.
Fully agree with your assessment of where education is at. I’m definitely experiencing this as a teacher. The problem is indeed, in the UK at least, the life-impacting high stakes exams we are forced to teach “to” : the GCSEs at 15/16 and the A levels at 18. These cannot be changed by schools, nor can we opt out of these.
Until those shift, we are largely stuck with integrating AI as best we can DESPITE the immovability of the Dept for Education which ultimately dictates the system.
There is little political will to completely rethink education. Much like climate change: the science and the evidence couldn’t be more obvious, but no meaningful action is taken.
With how quickly our society is changing and unable to keep up with this pace, I think it’s time that we begin to ask these questions not of other humans, but of AI itself. After all, AI has been trained on all the literature and writings of human society on the Internet. By focusing our questions not to each other but to AI perhaps it will find remixed answers that we have not seen before. And will help us to keep up with the rapidly changing pace that AI itself is causing.
I have asked lots of variations - it's pretty down the middle. Gives plausible cases for multiple scnearios!
Reminds me of short story by Isaac Asimov “The Fun They Had”.
Thank you for naming these urgent AI truths. I’d add that this challenge is not limited to high school education, but extends to every sector: higher education, the military, government, economics, healthcare—no area is adapting fast enough to the tidal wave of change.
But what if the very tool that unsettles us—AI—could also become our partner in building the future? Rather than clinging to outdated methods and the limits of our individual minds, why not invite AI into the process of reimagining what our systems could become? Instead of using only our slow, legacy thinking, we can co-create with AI to envision and implement more just, efficient, and compassionate structures for society.
Perhaps the answer to the disruptions brought by AI is to let the tool itself help us dream, design, and actualize new ways of learning, governing, healing, and living. The change is daunting—but the tool that is bringing the change may also be the key to moving forward with hope, wisdom, and vision.
What if, instead of resisting, we begin to ask AI to help us build the world we truly want?
Yes - I talk mostly about high schools since this is the institution I know best. I generally try to stay in my lane :) But it's clear the disruptions will be almost everywhere. Some fields are better suited than others to respond quickly. Historically, education has not been one of them. There is a lot of hope in your optimistic scenario but the speed and unpredictability of the changes coming means we really need to work together to get it right.
Wonderful piece, Steve. I had heard about RAIL but just spent some time on the website based on your description. Was surprised to see "pace layering" in the headline and to hear your description of the training.
Thanks, Rob!
This is a phenomenal piece that deserves much wider distribution, which I will try to do now. You are that all of education is still trying to figure out, if at all, how to make best use of AI in instruction. You ask all the right questions, we are all struggling with coming up with a process of how even to come up with the right answers -- perhaps one of your next topics.
Thanks, Bob. I'm really struggling with the debate within the Substack community. No one knows what to do. There are real issues all around. Trying to think through my own experience with students and take into account many of the opinions and views of others. I do think it's going to be the educational challenge of the day. Schools will approach it differently so we will get some evidence of what works and what doesn't. But I feel strongly (at least right now!) that banning it is not the answer.
Totally agree -- just posted my own substack praising yours