To find simplicity, we sometimes need to travel through the complex. Here i’ll share a simple view about Generative AI and learning in just 250 words. Better not waste any.
‘Generative AI’ describes a family of algorithms that deliver seemingly realistic answers to pretty much anything you ask, with variable levels of accuracy.
They have ‘learned’ to do this by analysing vast amounts of what has been created before, because there is a pattern to language. If you ‘read’ enough of it, It can be computed.
They may appear human, but are not truly ‘intelligent’: they cannot carry out logical reasoning or explain how they found the answer.
To Google something feels like an act of interrogation. When chatting to a Generative AI, it feels like a conversation. And like all good conversations, it can ramble off in different directions.
Generative AI can support dialogue in learning and hence unlocks curiosity.
This technology is being embedded into various systems, supporting our writing, meeting, and learning. It can take notes, summarise and prompt, offering alternatives and contextual feedback.
Generative AI is a supporting technology, not a magic answer, but we’re at an inflexion point.
It will commoditise things like individually contextualised feedback that used to be costly, and it can calibrate it’s responses to be more creative or factual.
We’ll need to create new technical and creative roles, whilst some existing roles will be invalidated: writing, design, illustration (through similar technologies), even analysis will change.
This is a time to learn.
julianstodd
Julian Stodd's Learning Blog 