Jon Ippolito discusses the need for a more critical framework for AI in education. He explores the impact of generative AI, challenges in implementing AI in different scenarios, and engaging students in creative tasks. The conversation emphasizes the importance of analyzing AI use, differentiating task types, and promoting values like creativity over intelligence.
Intelligence should extend beyond verbal articulation, urging promotion of diverse values.
AI's averaging process poses challenges, as the average of two facts may not be factual.
Thoughtful application of AI in education can enhance learning experiences, advocating for ethical considerations.
Deep dives
AI Use in Higher Education and Role of John Ippolito
John Ippolito, an artist, writer, and curator teaching at the University of Maine, discusses the critical framework for AI use in higher education. As a co-founder of the Variable Media Network, his expertise in digital curation and AI's impact on creators, writers, and media makers is evident. The interview delves into his unconventional journey from mistakenly applying as a curator at the Guggenheim to exploring the complexity of success and creativity.
Rethinking Intelligence and AI’s Creative Possibilities
The conversation transitions to redefining intelligence beyond conventional standards of verbal articulation and knowledge. Ippolito explores the emergence of creativity in AI, questioning its nature and illustrating how AI can foster creative outputs by merging unrelated concepts. By highlighting AI's role in generating diverse visual representations, he emphasizes the probabilistic nature and biases inherent in AI's averaging processes.
Ethical Considerations and Feedback in AI Applications
Ippolito navigates the ethical implications of AI, urging a thoughtful approach to its application in various fields. The discussion touches on biases in AI algorithms and the need for a balance between opportunistic and prescriptive tasks. Recommendations reflect on the importance of incorporating AI in teaching practices, emphasizing its potential to enhance student learning experiences.
Higher Education Challenges and Climate Change
The conversation expands to address higher education challenges amidst climate change, advocating for institutional responses to environmental crises. Brian Alexander's 'Universities on Fire' is recommended for administrators, stressing the urgency of reshaping universities to address climate-related disruptions. The episode concludes with a call to explore AI's creative potential through generative image tasks and multidisciplinary engagement.
Data Visualization and Reflective Conversations
A spotlight on 'Data by Design,' a project illuminating the intersection of data visualization with colonial histories and social justice. The recommendation underscores MIT Press's commitment to open access and collaborative feedback processes. Encouraging reflective conversations on AI's impact, the episode resonates with ongoing explorations in data visualization and ethical AI applications.
Jon Ippolito on a more critical framework for AI use (amongst other topics) on episode 524 of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast.
Quotes from the episode
We need to either rethink what intelligence means, beyond the scope of simply being articulate and knowledgeable when it comes to to putting words together, or we need to think about what other values we want to promote and encourage and teach that go beyond intelligence.
-Jon Ippolito
It’s a problem because the average of 2 facts is not necessarily a fact.
-Jon Ippolito