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Re-Approaching Artificial intelligence

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 What is AI? I Mean Really?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the the buzzword of the day. It seems like you can't go a minute without hearing someone talk about, read a news story about, or encounter another example of AI as good or evil. That being said, I feel all of these conversations are valuable, and quite frankly necessary. It is about more than some theoretical conversation, these tools are here and must be acknowledged.

Unfortunately, many see AI as a silver bullet, shortcut, or quick fix. The truth is that it is an extremely powerful and capable tool, but just that, a tool. The issue arises in that most tools can't really do any harm without assistance. Usually, it is the human that makes the mistake in using the tool. I know, many of you are saying that is still the case with AI. I would argue that it both is and isn’t. Let's look at an example of what I mean.

A lot of people have been comparing AI to various other productivity or organization tools, such as:

  • Calculators
  • Statistical Research Packages
  •  Search Engines
  • Databases
  • Citation managers

While there is commonality there, these tools have significant differences in both functionalities, and more importantly, perception. For example, let's look at just the hallucination component of generative AI. If you ask AI to solve a math equation, it may or may not give you the right result. If your information input is missing a step, the AI could try to "fill in the gaps" and do more harm than good. The same can be said for searches and other software that rely on input. Most traditional methods rely on some specific rules to provide an answer. AI, while not creative in any traditional sense, tries to solve the problem and look for potential solutions based on the data it is provided using a much more aggressive model.

What are some other concerns with AI? Here are just a few but worth considering:

  • Intellectual Property- Who owns what AI produces? Does it really create anything or simply reorganize bits of information into a new package?
  • Privacy-Does AI share data? What does it know? Is it misrepresenting my data?
  • Ethics- Can the use of AI be harmful? Will it diminish the need for personal creativity? Is it at risk of objectifying and diluting the human experience?

These are real considerations that must be addressed as we move forward, but there is light on the horizon.

Enter Khanmigo

Some of you may have heard me talk about my love of Open Educational Resources (OER), Non-Profits, and open-source products. One of the newest cools out there is Khanmigo. Khanmigo is part of Khan Academy, which has long provided free tutorials and resources, check out the story here:

https://www.khanacademy.org/about.

Khanmigo is something new. It is free to educators, integrated into the canvas Learning Management system (LMS) And only $44.00/yr. for an individual or family.

So, why am I less skeptical about Khan miso than other AI tools and resources? The truth is that Khanmigo is still accessing chat GPT 4.0, but there are safeguards in place for privacy. While this does not solve every issue listed earlier, it addresses a huge one. Also, there is more of a guided set of tools

instead of an open-ended and “freewheeling” interaction. There are specific categories and interaction types. The AI is meant to be a tool or resource and not to create things for you without input and oversight, being very explicit about what it can and can't do.

What are some of the things Khanmigo can help you do

Again, why is this so different? The difference is the focus on learning and not just providing information. Let’s take another example, a faculty member can use the "Refresh my Learning" tool to

practice for an upcoming class or revisit topics of interest. Khanmigo first asks how you want to engage, through a quiz or discussion. If you choose discussion (my preference), you are then asked to explain your current understanding of the topic. Once you do so, the AI will begin to have a conversation and throw out scenarios:

  • Have you thought of this?
  • What if a student asked a question about that?
  • Are there other approaches?

This fundamental shift to a sounding board or a companion tool for understanding is the main takeaway. AI is not a toe, nor is it an oracle that produces wisdom and knowledge. However, used effectively, it can help us better refine and elaborate our current knowledge. It can also help to expose us to new ideas and possibilities.

Well, that is enough fun for now. Maybe I will share some of these conversations and outputs on my Patreon page, but for now, I will leave you with links and a question. Where do you fall on generative AI?
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