We are one quarter way through the 21st century and boy has a lot changed. Digital technology is easily the biggest change in society since the turn of the century. Handheld mobile devices now carry as much computing power as just about any standard computer on Earth. These devices offer just about any feature you can think of. From games, to apps, to calculators, to tv streaming abilities, their utility is second to none.
Education in the 21st century heavily relies on this technology as well. Students take notes on their tablets or laptops while their instructors post lessons on crystal clear projection screens. Public schools as well as private schools have embraced these tools to teach students everything from philosophy to English and math. Even focused education institutions like military schools have embraced these implements.
Artificial Intelligence
Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t discuss AI. This tool helps people sift through the jargon and get down to brass tacks of knowledge, learning in minutes what may have taken hours just a decade ago.
In order to prevent students from cheating, professors will often use AI detection software when grading papers. There are many such apps and websites which allow teachers to accomplish this very task. Check out Originality.ai for example. It is an easy-to-use tool that assists teachers and professors in detecting AI generated content.
AI is expected grow leaps and bounds in the next 5 years alone. You will see videos in the next year or two which are indistinguishable from real footage. It is a double-edged sword that will lead to great content but also great confusion, especially for the older population that isn’t up to date on what to look for when identifying fake content.
When teaching your students about media and content, it is important that they learn how to run it through AI detectors so that they learn how to separate truth from fiction. The reason this is important is because they can be led down some pretty dark roads if they are not aware of what reality is.
The number one thing to take away from this article is that technology has changed the face of education forever. But it is important that the consumer of content be equally aware that what they are seeing may be AI generated and not real. The power of future leadership rests in their ability to sift through the haze of computer-generated nonsense. After all, they say that knowledge is power. He who has the most knowledge may also hold the keys to the most power.
Institutions should spend as much time teaching students about how to spot false information and media as they do about how to consume the real version as the lines between what’s real and what is fake blurs even more.
Parents should also spend as much time as possible teaching their kids about these things and about how they may affect their lives. Avoiding scams will be as important as finding good deals. The future is here, and it is up to the individual as well as the institution to embrace it or be left behind.