Blog # 12

At last, we’ve come to the conclusion. When we first started this class, and the professor rolled out the pathfinder assignments, I was somewhat nervous. Not mainly because of the assignments that needed to be done but I was unclear of how to approach this presentation from start to finish; not to mention that I generally dislike conducting presentations. Especially those that are less interesting to me. However, watching you guys week after week covering your materials like the pros that you are, brought me one step closer to preparing my own presentation. This is not solely pertaining to time, but also in terms of reducing my anxiety and making me a little more at ease. Even though I don’t enjoy presenting, I understand that as students, and individuals in general, it is important to recognize that there are things we are asked to do that are completely out of our comfort zones. Whether it is in our professional field, education, or even in our personal lives. Did I mention that presentation is not one of my favorite things to do? Ok. Cool. So any congratulation to me also goes out to each and everyone of you. Job well done!

As for the final project, after going through a process of elimination, I’ve decided to complete the first assignment; the micro fiction story that will paint a picture of the impact of AI teaching, learning, and education in the near future. When the Professor introduced the assignment the last time, we were in class together, I wasn’t sure which option I would choose. After giving it some thought, I immediately eliminated the second one which is about creating a narrative game with AI. Since I’m not a gamer, I don’t think it’s ideal to choose this particular project as I would need to put in additional work to learn the steps involved in creating the game, all without knowing how successful I would be. Once that preliminary process was completed, my choice became much clearer leading me to choose the first one. Even though I’ve not written a micro fiction story before, I have more confidence in this particular one. 

Week 11 Blog

With  the rapid evolution of technology and multiple A.I Translating Tools along the way, it’s easy to assume that access to these resources has reached everyone. However, this article has opened my eyes to the harsh reality that many of these languages are still underserved, and often excluded from these tools. Even though platforms such as Google Translate, one of the most widely used A.I. translation platforms, provide translations for over 243 languages, the fact remains that some languages are still left out. As a Bilingual Teaching Assistant, I often observe  how the students are able to translate their classwork assignments, and tests. I often reflect on my past experiences, and wonder how was I able to complete my assignments and even managed to test out of English as a Second Language (ESL) which is currently referred to as Multilingual Learners (MLs) without the assistance of any of these technologies. 

Fortunately, platforms like Story Weaver have taken the steps and made it possible not simply to translate simple conversation, for children to gain access to thousands of books they would otherwise miss out on, but also contributing to preserving languages that are at risk of disappearing due to their speakers being diminished. I also like the fact that human input is being used in the translation process, because I believe that humans are more accurate. I sometimes play with Google Translate just to analyze its accuracy, and I occasionally feel disappointed, because the translations often sound too robotic. Certain words and expressions are deeply rooted in the language culture, and only a person from that culture can understand and relay their specific meaning. The only downside in this situation is the issue of hard labor, and lack of  recognition. Whether as a volunteer, or employee, human translators invest a significant amount of time, and energy to make the mission possible. 

Scary!!! If there were any doubts of the power of AI in our lives and whether or not we are being watched, I think watching these short films might have cleared up that mystery. Most of us try to take necessary precautions to protect ourselves from having data collected on us. Unfortunately, we do not have control of every system, nor do we have the manpower to fully prevent it. In the short film, Frames, we can see how we are being monitored and not even be aware of it. Everytime we swipe that card, perform a google search, or simply have a conversation in our private space, there is always the risk of giving up more information than we intended to share. This reminds me of one of our class discussions when the Professor, and CJ talked about a couple situations that made them feel as though their conversations were being monitored. I remember a few years back when Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) wallets became extremely popular. Those are the wallets and purses that use electromagnetic shielding materials to supposedly protect your credit cards and other documents in your wallets from being scanned for financial gains and data collections. Although they were a bit more expensive than your average ones, people were buying them because they were willing to do anything to protect their privacy. As frightening as it may seem, we cannot stop living life, and they know it.

While listening to the radio on Sunday, I heard that ‘23 and me’ is going out of business. The  company is known for providing genetic ancestry history through saliva samples. What has consumers worried now is that whoever ends up buying the company, there’s the great possibility that their data will also be transferred. In an effort to protect its previous customers, 23 & is now urging everyone to delete all of their data, however, customers have doubts on whether or not they will still be protected if they do delete their personal data. It is unfortunate that we are living in a world where it’s almost impossible to shield and protect ourselves because we are overthrown by AI systems.

Okayyy…  You don’t often see teachers encouraging their students to cheat but sometimes you have to take an unorthodox approach to prove a point. Yes, we can use AI to help with almost anything, and we can also choose to write without it. So what exactly are we trying to achieve? Is the goal to simply complete an assignment, or to gain some type of knowledge, and develop our own thinking process? Then there’s the concern of agency and authority that we must think about, and to what extent are we willing to give them up, and how much of our ideas we are willing to share with AI knowing that there is always the risk of it altering those ideas. So analyzing the pros and cons of writing with AI can indeed help determine when it is appropriate to use it, and when it is not.

 The video talks about some driven factors for those decisions. We must consider the value of intention, originality, care, and personal connection with that specific task. I once had to do a cultural narrative, no matter how much information AI can provide about my culture, this is an assignment that I had to complete myself. The different emotions I felt as I was writing, and the flashbacks of memories I experienced as I was writing were no match for AI because those stories were deeply personal to me. According to Aiden Cinnamon Tea, I’d be one of those at the other end of the spectrum deeply entrenched in modernity’s ego-centric script, because it is important for me to be the sole architect of this destiny, the eternal protagonist in a single, linear story of progress to protect how  this narrative develops and ends. 

When I initially began reading the article “4 Reasons to Start Playing Dungeons & Dragons with Your Colleagues”, I quickly connected to the feelings and emotions of the players when they are playing that game because I too, have a game that I’m obsessed with. It’s called Puzzle Math. It’s quite different from D&D, because for one, it is not a video game, and it’s also not played in groups. Nonetheless, those feelings of joy and fulfillment each time I complete a puzzle is common with D&D. However, upon continuing the reading, I realized that this particular game offers more than just a good time. It emphasizes the value of inclusiveness, and meaningful contribution at a workplace. That greatness is only achievable through teamwork and collaboration. Whether at the workplace, or in life in general, it is important to recognize that each individual brings unique skills and experiences that can be utilized to collectively solve problems. 

The article, “Why AI Dungeon is Not the AI Dungeon Master You’re Looking For” highlights the need for human interaction and decision making as they take on a role in the game because it shows that our choices are valuable. A feature that cannot be achieved with AI Dungeon. While it is able to imitate some criterias of a real Dungeon Master, such as generating content, it falls short on performing most of its other tasks. One point that stood out to me is the realization that we humans are motivated by challenges. When there’s no opportunity to grow, we often lose interest to continue. I’ve never been interested in playing video games, but this one definitely captivates my interest. Just for once I’d like to try it. Maybe it might bring me to Friends & Fables.

(Blog 4)

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been discussing the negative effects of technology, especially AI on our daily lives. Reading this article (Demystifying the New Dilemma of Brain Rot in the Digital Age Era) made me think about self-control when using technology. While we often blame the existence of technology, we sometimes fail to realize the fact that technology itself is not solely responsible for these negative effects but instead, our behavior and the way we use it. Although technology is available to us, we make the ultimate decision of how much time we spent feeding our brain by following algorithm and scrolling up and down watching digital content and responding to every notification. The article describes some “symptoms of Brain Rot that include spending hours on-screen, anxiety when away from mobile devices, and a weakened ability to pay appropriate attention to valuable activities”. We probably had some ideas that being on screen for an extended amount of time will have at least have some damage on our eyesight, however, finding out these additional health, cognitive, mental, and social issues that one can suffer by the use of excessive screen time bring some serious concerns.

When we think of the long list of other issues that come as a result of spending excessive number of hours on screen, we must ask ourselves, is it worth it? Increase levels of anxiety and depression, low self-esteem, social withdraw, impaired brain development, risks of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional disorders, short attention span, and even early onset dementia. What strikes me in this article is how long the word “brain rot” has existed. Since the is often used in association with modern technology, it seems as though it has recently been in existence. Even as an adult, I now realize how often I reach for my phone during the day, or when I lay down. I also realize how this habit of mine has brought some levels of procrastination in other aspects of my life. One thing is for sure; technology and the many digital platforms are here to stay, and it may also be unrealistic to think that one can suddenly and completely stop using them. The truth of the matter is that most of us rely on them whether to for school, work, or to stay connected with friends and family. To avoid being negatively affected, we must balance out how much content we consume and knowing when our brain is over saturated.

(Week 2 Blog)

There was a time when writers, (whether the ones who write professionally, or those of us who do it for class assignments)used to look for inspiration through their imagination, books, or even through a nature walk. That was before the age of Artificial intelligence when people actually think. For most people, those days are long gone. We’ve switched to using AI as a shoulder partner. “The role of AI writing systems as drafting buddies is a big departure from how writers typically get help”. As soon as we get the writer’s block, we immediately pick up a device and put AI to work for us. almost as if we stop believing in ourselves and the power of our brains. Forgetting how we used to be amazed by our imagination when we allow it to exercise and ‘run wild’. Nonetheless, as much assistance AI can provide to us, there are certain aspects in writing that only humans can achieve. There are many times when I use an AI platform to help correct an assignment, and when I read it, I ended up choosing my original over the corrected version because it sounds more human. As many tasks AI can do for us, drafting, picking up where we left off, completing a paragraph with instructions, and writing more words than we possibly can, it will always fell short in adding that human touch and connection.