Embed Notice

The problem is not AI tech per se but rather the users, or students in this case.

Before the Internet became accessible here in the Philippines, I was already doing my projects and research by researching online and using computers.

Did I just copy and pasted? Of course not. I read it, re-worded it. I read it again and re-wrote it. Until I arrived at the final version that is truly mine, with citations too!

Because of the process that I followed, I know what in the world I've submitted, so when I was randomly questioned about my work, I was able to answer every single question. Not only that, I was able to answer questions not covered in my submitted work. How? Because I read, re-worded, read, re-wrote, read, reviewed.

Later, it became more accessible and I had schoolmates who did exactly the same as what AI kids are doing today, copy-paste. Teachers and professors hated it, and they actually got very good in detecting it and immediately give a failing grade.

Not once did I get a failing grade. There were even a few instances a few classmates of mine complained that my submitted work came from the Internet too. But our teacher explained the differences between my submission and theirs.

Mind you, this was from 1997 and so. No AI. No wikipedia. No google. Back then, you can get very relevant results because there were fewer useless sites and search engines were actually search engines, not an algorithm game or ads.

In the early 2000s, I started tutoring. By this time, Internet is very accessible. Students I've tutored always wanted for their tutor to do their projects for them. They thought they can trick me. 🤪 I told them I will only explain things and they still should do it. I challenged them that I'll refund their money if their teacher and/or professor fail them.

Not one failed. They even returned to thank me because they got one of the highest grades because they were able to answer the questions thrown at them.

If I, as their tutor, acted like an AI and did things for them, they'll surely would've failed.

So, you see, the issues with AI today as far as students and education are concerned, is actually nothing new. In our time, the early world wide web can be an AI if you copy-paste it. The tutors can be an AI if they did everything for their students.

The tool is not the problem. It is the users, the students.

Someone needs to level with these students so they can understand, in their own lingo and terms, that the way they're using tools is setting them up in a future where they'll have a hard time surviving. Even for many of us who are talented and skilled are having a hard time, what more them?

The students I tutored? Our age gap was minimal, so we were able to connect. The students today, they need someone to guide them, and it isn't us that is a generation or two older than them. Have you ever listened to someone a generation or two onder than you when you were a teenager?