Why ChatGPT can't write for you | David Savill | TEDxUniversityofSalford
TLDRDavid Savill, a teacher and novelist, discusses the importance of literacy in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). He emphasizes that while AI, like ChatGPT, can generate text, it does not possess the ability to think or understand the value of the writing process. Savill argues that literacy is not just about reading and writing but is a journey towards critical and creative thinking. He highlights the role of education in empowering individuals and communities, using Paulo Freire's work as an example of literacy's power to give voice to the oppressed. The talk concludes with a call to preserve the human aspect of writing and learning, as AI can never answer the fundamental questions about our identity, meaning, and purpose.
Takeaways
- 📚 **Literacy as Empowerment**: The ability to read and write is crucial for personal and societal empowerment, as demonstrated by Pao Frera's literacy program in Brazil.
- 🌐 **AI and Literacy**: Large language models like ChatGPT are a stepping stone towards artificial general intelligence, but they cannot replace the human capacity for critical and creative thinking.
- 🚫 **Misuse of AI in Education**: There has been a rise in academic misconduct with students using AI to generate essays, which raises concerns about the understanding and value of writing.
- 🤔 **The Illusion of Writing**: AI programs like ChatGPT give the impression of writing and thinking, but they do not truly engage in the human processes of reflection and creativity.
- 🧠 **Neurological Impact**: Writing, especially creative writing, engages multiple areas of the brain, fostering a deeper cognitive and self-reflective process that AI cannot replicate.
- 👥 **Community and Democracy**: Literacy plays a vital role in community building and democratic societies, enabling individuals to have a voice and participate in shaping their world.
- 📈 **The Literacy Scale**: Literacy is not binary; it exists on a scale, with higher levels facilitating critical and creative thinking, analysis, and self-reflection.
- 🎓 **Education for Humanization**: Paulo Frera believed in an education that is reflective and practice-based, aiming at humanization and allowing individuals to shape their own destinies.
- ✍️ **The Power of Writing**: Writing is a tool for self-discovery and for developing a self-reflective consciousness, which is a fundamental aspect of being human.
- 🧐 **Deep Reflection vs. Quick Answers**: The ease with which AI provides information may lead to a more passive cognitive process, reducing the opportunity for deep reflection and critical awareness.
- 🌟 **Authoring Ourselves**: The act of writing is essential for authoring our past and recognizing that the future is shaped by our actions and thoughts, a process that AI cannot undertake for us.
Q & A
What was the main concern of the speaker regarding the advent of AI and large language models like ChatGPT?
-The speaker was concerned about the potential devaluation of human literacy and the empowerment that comes with the process of reading and writing. He feared that relying on AI for these tasks could lead to a passive consumption of information, without the deep reflection and critical awareness that are essential for personal and societal development.
How did the story of Paulo Freire in Brazil relate to the speaker's argument about literacy?
-Paulo Freire's story illustrated the power of literacy as a tool for empowerment and the threat it posed to oppressive regimes. The speaker used this story to emphasize that literacy is not just about reading and writing, but also about critical thinking and self-reflection, which are crucial for an individual's ability to shape their world.
What is the importance of the journey of literacy according to the speaker?
-The journey of literacy is important because it involves the continuous development of critical and creative thinking, analysis, and self-reflection. It empowers individuals to not just consume information but to actively engage with it, shaping their understanding of the world and their place in it.
How does the speaker view the role of a teacher in the context of AI and literacy?
-The speaker views the role of a teacher as crucial in an age of AI. Teachers are not just imparters of knowledge, but facilitators who guide students through the process of literacy, helping them to develop the skills of critical thinking, creativity, and self-reflection that are essential for personal growth and societal contribution.
What is the speaker's perspective on the use of AI for writing tasks?
-The speaker is skeptical about the use of AI for writing tasks. He argues that while AI can generate text, it does not truly 'write' or 'think'. The process of writing involves more than just generating text; it involves the active engagement of the mind, the exercise of creativity, and the development of a unique voice.
How does the speaker describe the impact of AI on the teaching community?
-The speaker describes the initial reaction of the teaching community to AI, particularly large language models like ChatGPT, as one of panic. This is due to concerns about academic misconduct, with students using AI to generate essays, and the potential for AI to undermine the value of human literacy.
What is the speaker's view on the democratizing force of large language models?
-While acknowledging the potential of large language models to democratize access to information and writing, the speaker is critical of the misconception that these models can replace the process and value of human reading and writing. He argues that the process of literacy is about more than just the product; it's about the journey and the cognitive development that comes with it.
How does the speaker relate the development of AI to the evolution of human civilization?
-The speaker uses the metaphor of language as the 'source code' of civilization and reading and writing as 'software' built upon that source code. He suggests that the development of AI and large language models is a crucial step towards artificial general intelligence, but emphasizes that AI can never fully replicate the human capacity for creativity, critical thinking, and self-reflection.
What is the significance of the 'pedagogy of the oppressed' in the context of the speaker's argument?
-The 'pedagogy of the oppressed' by Paulo Freire is significant as it represents an educational philosophy that values literacy not just as a tool for learning, but as a means of empowerment and humanization. The speaker uses this philosophy to argue for the importance of literacy in enabling individuals to shape their own lives and contribute to their communities.
How does the speaker suggest we should approach the development of AI?
-The speaker suggests that while we should recognize the potential benefits of AI, we should also be cautious about its impact on human literacy and cognitive development. He argues for the importance of maintaining the human journey of literacy, which involves active engagement with language and the development of a unique voice and perspective.
What is the speaker's final message to the audience?
-The speaker's final message is a call to value and protect the human capacity for literacy and self-reflection. He argues that as we progress towards an age of artificial intelligence, it is more important than ever for individuals to have the opportunity to explore their humanity by authoring themselves through the process of reading and writing.
Outlines
📚 The Role of Literacy in Empowering Humanity
The speaker, a teacher and novelist, discusses the importance of literacy in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). They emphasize that despite AI's potential, human ability to thrive depends on understanding three questions that AI cannot answer: who we are, our meaning, and our purpose. The speaker shares the story of Paulo Freire, a Brazilian teacher who developed a literacy program that was later shut down by a military dictatorship, highlighting the connection between literacy, democracy, and individual freedoms. They argue that literacy is not binary but a scale, and that the kind of reading and writing they teach at the University of Sheffield empowers students to engage in critical and creative thinking. The speaker also touches on the metaphorical relationship between language, literacy, and civilization, suggesting that literacy is crucial for human civilization and societal health.
🤖 AI's Impact on Literacy and the Writing Process
The paragraph delves into the initial panic within the teaching community following the release of a large language model, Chat GPT. It discusses the concerns about academic misconduct as students began using AI to generate essays. The speaker also mentions the AI's ability to pass standardized tests like the SATs and a bar exam in law. They express concern over the misconceptions about the value of reading and writing in human development, contrasting the process of writing with the product that AI generates. The speaker argues that AI tools give an illusion of writing and thinking but do not replace the journey of learning and self-discovery that comes with literacy. They also discuss the importance of deep reflection and critical awareness in developing a sense of agency and identity, which they believe is at risk of being lost with the ease of AI-generated content.
🧠 The Neuroscience of Writing and Literacy
This section explores the neurological aspects of writing and literacy. The speaker discusses how different parts of the brain are engaged during the act of writing, with experienced creative writers showing more activity in areas associated with semantic production and meaning. They also mention that expert writers use a part of the brain responsible for learned coordination, which novices do not, suggesting that through writing, experienced writers have developed a mental conductor for their cognitive processes. The speaker emphasizes that when literacy is achieved, the brain is freed up to think creatively while reading and writing, allowing for original ideas to be generated. They also reference Paulo Freire's work and his belief in education as a means of humanization, which they argue takes on a new significance in the age of AI.
🌟 The Importance of Personal Authorship in the AI Era
The final paragraph stresses the importance of personal authorship and the exploration of one's humanity in the face of advancing AI. The speaker argues that despite AI's capabilities, it cannot answer fundamental questions about human identity, meaning, and purpose. They advocate for the right of every person to engage in the journey of self-discovery and self-expression through writing. The speaker uses a poem by Antonio Machado to illustrate the idea that the act of writing is akin to creating a path through one's life experiences. They conclude by stating that writing is not just about producing words but about making meaning, which is a fundamentally human endeavor. They encourage embracing the human capacity for self-reflection and creativity as we progress towards an age of artificial general intelligence.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Artificial Intelligence
💡Literacy
💡Humanization
💡Creative Writing
💡Critical Pedagogy
💡Democracy
💡AI Misconceptions
💡Empowerment
💡Neoliberal Capitalism
💡Consciousness
Highlights
AI's ability to thrive as a human depends on questions it will never answer, related to individual identity, community, democracy, and humanity.
Pao Freire's literacy program in Brazil aimed to empower agricultural workers, but was halted by a military dictatorship fearing the political voice of the literate.
Literacy is not binary; it exists on a scale that empowers students towards higher critical and creative thinking.
The future of a fair society and human fulfillment is seen in lifelong learning and literacy.
Language is the source code of civilization, with reading and writing as software that enables societal memory and problem-solving.
Media, from stone hieroglyphs to digital platforms, is a technology that disseminates information and changes how we read and write.
The development of large language models like Chat GPT is a stepping stone towards artificial general intelligence.
The launch of Chat GPT led to panic among educators due to its potential to enable academic misconduct.
Chat GPT's ability to generate essays and pass exams raises questions about the value of traditional literacy in education.
The misconception that AI can replace the process and value of human writing and thinking is a concern.
The importance of the writing process in shaping our consciousness and self-reflection, as opposed to the product alone.
The unique silence of a creative writing classroom signifies the sound of thought and personal growth.
Writing exercises our minds, much like physical exercise, and can alter our consciousness and perspective.
Neuroscientific studies show that experienced writers engage more areas of the brain, indicating a deeper cognitive process.
Fluent reading and writing free up brain areas for higher-level thinking and idea generation.
Pao Freire's work emphasizes the importance of education for humanization and giving individuals a voice in their communities.
In the age of AI, the purpose of writing and literacy becomes even more critical for maintaining human consciousness and agency.
The journey of writing and reading is essential for authoring our past and recognizing the road ahead that we make for ourselves.
AI will never be able to answer the fundamental questions about our identity, meaning, and purpose that we must discover through our own literacy journey.