Well we have made it to Spring Break week! I believe we could all use a bit of a break, so I am glad we have the week ahead just to recharge. Enjoy a little time decompressing and hopefully we will have some early Spring weather.

Is it personal?

We spoke a bit about the problem of personalization, personification, and even personhood in light of AI. It is hard to believe that so many are willing to forget that AI can never be sentient. And perhaps even more upsetting is the realization that so many are forsaking real human connection due to a perceived personalized connection to the machine. Our human-centric assumptions about AI, and the impulse to treat AI like a predictable, emotionally attuned human are ubiquitous. You all brought up some compelling examples about how this is playing out everywhere. There are many harrowing stories about the personification of AI, and how misleading this can be to vulnerable people during the endemic of loneliness. The US Surgeon General declared a loneliness epidemic in 2023, with ~50% of adults experiencing, and up to 80% of young adults (18-24) reporting, profound loneliness.  The ascendency of AI in this midst is clearly not helping.

Class slides

Childhood Development in the ​Emerging AI Landscape​

Thanks to both Alexa and Ebony for sharing a thorough presentation on the challenge of “AI” in the context of early childhood development. They asked us to listen to a HarvardEdCast podcast (with Jill Anderson interviewing Ying Xu about how artificial intelligence may influence children’s learning and development). Their discussion focused on the potential benefits and risks of children interacting with AI tools. Safe to say, we all seemed to agree that AI cannot fully replicate deeper socio-emotional engagement, follow-up questioning, and the intimate connection that come from interactions with teachers, parents, and peers. We were all pretty spooked by some of the current examples Alexa and Ebony shared with us of AI literacy tools that are currently being applied to the early childhood classroom. We spoke about the significance of productive struggle when learning, and that it is often better for children to learn by working through mild difficulty rather than immediately receiving answers. AI can sometimes short-circuit this process if students simply ask for solutions. The deeper question is whether children will still develop these underlying life skills if AI is removed.  The podcast Alexa and Ebony selected also opened up a discussion about how AI might affect children’s social norms and politeness. Will the design of a “polite mode” teach our children to be compassionate and courteous with others? We doubt it will have the lasting effect that IRL interaction and lessons from others that care might have.

What is next?

3/11 Spring Break

Next week (3/11) there is no class because it is Spring Break!

3/18 Online asynchronous video w/short assignment

 (**NO In-Person Class Meeting**). In lieu of our in person class time, please watch “MYFest25: Researchers Writing With(out) AI”. 

Blog #8 based on this material is due 3/25. (You are welcome to do this ahead of time if it works for your schedule better.) **Please write a reflection of your “take -aways” after watching the video “MYFest25: “Researchers Writing With(out) AI”.

3/25 AI’s impact on Community & Care

I will see you in person in our classroom on 3/25. Blog #9 is a reflection on the following readings. It is also due March 25th: 

CJ will discuss “Dungeons and Dragons” as a base for going over AI’s impact on communities of care:

1. DnD and community building: https://kunzleigh.com/4-reasons-to-start-playing-dungeons-and-dragons-with-your-colleagues/ 

2. The AI Dungeon: https://fables.gg/blog/why-ai-dungeon-is-not-the-ai-dungeon-master-youre-looking-for 

3. Burnout From Humans: Chapters 9 & 10 (pg. 96-119) 

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Please note two seperate blogs are due on March 25th: Blog 8 & Blog 9.

Have a good Spring Break everyone! I will see you again in our classroom on March 25th, and we will discuss care and community in the context of AI, based on the readings selected for us by CJ.