‘I hate what AI is doing to the minds and happiness of the young’: Katherine Rundell on the view from the classroom

TL;DR

AI is seen as a tool for authoritarianism, capable of spreading disinformation, enabling mass surveillance, and facilitating remote killing.
The author criticizes AI's reliance on 'illegal pillage of human labour' and its significant environmental impact.
Generative AI threatens to upend learning by diminishing the importance of books and reading, essential for critical thinking and democracy.
Studies suggest AI-assisted learning leads to poorer performance and increased giving up, with evidence of reduced brain activity.
The author argues that AI-driven efficiency in education sacrifices the depth and richness of human development, leading to 'cognitive surrender'.
There's a concern that poorer schools will rely more heavily on AI while richer schools may opt for non-tech-based learning.
The author emphasizes that AI teaches children to be like computers, not to be human, and highlights the potential danger of humanized tech interactions.
Instead of teaching AI use, the author suggests teaching humanities to foster critical thinking and understanding of human experience.
The essay format, a method of thinking, is threatened by AI, making it difficult to assess genuine student understanding.
Resistance against AI in education involves prioritizing knowledge and imagination, primarily through reading books and discussing them.
Reading is presented not just for pleasure, but as a tool to fight injustice, develop scrutiny, foster imagination, and secure intellectual freedom.

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