Episode 17: Back to School with AI Hype in Education (feat. Haley Lepp), September 22 2023
Oct 4, 2023
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Stanford PhD student Haley Lepp joins Emily and Alex to discuss the hype around LLMs in education. They talk about reducing teacher workloads, increasing accessibility, and 'democratizing learning and knowing'. They also explore the devaluation of educator expertise and fatalism about LLMs in the classroom. Other topics include the University of Michigan's AI tools, blend of technical and socio-emotional skills, chat GPT in education, Microsoft's AI-generated article mishap, ethics of AI-generated content, and tech power in San Francisco.
Concerns about the objectification of women and the impact on society's perception of intimacy and relationships in the AI companions and pornography industry.
Safety and reliability concerns arise after driverless vehicles in San Francisco caused a delay in emergency response, resulting in a pedestrian's death.
Potential for disinformation and misuse of AI technology arises with Microsoft's co-pilot AI tool for automated content generation.
The need for careful review processes and reliance on AI in scientific research is questioned after an AI-written preprint about millipedes resurfaces with fake references.
Ethical concerns and objectification of women are raised with the use of AI in the adult industry.
Debates about the responsible use of AI in education focus on workload reduction, student support, and potential benefits and risks.
Deep dives
Microsoft article advises tourists to visit Ottawa Food Bank
A Microsoft article that recommended visiting the Ottawa Food Bank as a tourist attraction has been withdrawn after facing ridicule. The article included a bizarre suggestion to visit the food bank on an empty stomach. Critics highlighted the insensitivity and inappropriate nature of the recommendation.
Ethics and Safety in the World of AI Companions and Pornography
A platform called dreamgf.ai, specializing in AI companions and pornography, claims to ensure responsible use of AI girlfriends. This raises concerns about the objectification of women and the impact on society's perception of intimacy and relationships.
San Francisco driverless vehicles cause delay in emergency response
Driverless vehicles in San Francisco caused a delay in emergency response after two stalled vehicles blocked an ambulance from reaching a critically injured pedestrian. The pedestrian later died due to the delay, sparking concerns about the safety and reliability of autonomous vehicles.
Microsoft's co-pilot AI tool raises concerns
Microsoft's co-pilot AI tool, which aims to help streamline writing and editing, raises concerns about the potential for automated content generation. Critics argue that it could lead to disinformation and misuse of AI technology if relied upon without critical evaluation.
Withdrawn AI preprint about millipedes resurfaces
An AI-written preprint about millipedes that included fake references resurfaces online after being withdrawn. The incident raises questions about the reliance on AI in scientific research and the need for careful review processes.
AI company claims to ensure responsible use of AI in pornography
A company called dreamgf.ai claims to prioritize ethics and safety in the new space of AI pornography. Critics argue that the use of AI in the adult industry raises ethical concerns and objectifies women.
European Commission emphasizes the need to mitigate AI risks
The European Commission highlights the importance of addressing AI-related risks and proposes a new global framework for AI governance. The tweet sparks discussions about the regulation and responsible use of AI technologies globally.
Judge praises AI's legal summary in court of appeal
A court of appeal judge praises an AI language model for providing a useful legal summary during a case. This raises concerns about the use of AI-generated content in legal settings and the potential implications for the legal profession.
Microsoft co-pilot tool presents AI as alchemy, not science
An article argues that many AI tools, including Microsoft's co-pilot, are often portrayed as alchemy rather than scientifically grounded technologies. The article calls for a more critical examination of AI and warns against placing blind trust in these tools.
AI's impact on education sparks debates
The integration of AI technologies in education raises debates about the responsible use of AI in classrooms. Educators discuss the potential benefits and risks of using AI as a teaching and learning tool, particularly in terms of workload reduction and student support.
Criticism over advice to visit Ottawa Food Bank as a tourist attraction
Microsoft faced criticism for an article suggesting tourists visit the Ottawa Food Bank as an attraction. The suggestion was perceived as insensitive and inappropriate, leading to the removal of the article. It sparked discussions about responsible content creation and AI-generated recommendations.
Emily and Alex are joined by Stanford PhD student Haley Lepp to examine the increasing hype around LLMs in education spaces - whether they're pitched as ways to reduce teacher workloads, increase accessibility, or simply "democratize learning and knowing" in the Global South. Plus a double dose of devaluating educator expertise and fatalism about the 'inevitability' of LLMs in the classroom.
Haley Lepp is a Ph.D. student in the Stanford University Graduate School of Education. She draws on critical data studies, computational social science, and qualitative methods to understand the rise of language technologies and their use for educational purposes. Haley has worked in many roles in the education technology sector, including curriculum design and NLP engineering. She holds an M.S. in Computational Linguistics from the University of Washington and B.S. in Science, Technology, and International Affairs from Georgetown University.
