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Technical Crutches - good or bad or necessary evil?

dougw

When I started thinking about these 2 questions, I started noticing how insidiously these technologies are influencing our lives.

1) Will the internet kill human learning?

The vast information available on the Internet started out as a game changing resource to learn from. However, increasingly it has become a disincentive to learn. Why bother to learn it if you can just Google it? This has benefits and drawbacks which are debatable but to highlight one aspect, I want to ask this question:

  • Are you impressed when you come across someone who has actual knowledge rather than virtual knowledge?

I find myself surprised sometimes when somebody actually knows something that I wouldn't expect them to learn. Does this happen to you?

Do you find that the generations that grew up with the internet, are more dependent on it or use it differently from the older generations?

2) Will AI kill human thinking?

Productivity expectations are increasing to the the extent that use of generative AI is necessary just to get the job done on time.

  • Are you more impressed by someone who creates content without using generative AI, versus someone who uses AI all the time?

Do you think of generative AI as cheating? Or less valuable? Or generic frivolous Pablum? Or a boon to save time and effort?

The internet can be a disincentive to learn. Is this true?

Generative AI can be a disincentive to think. Is this true?

How many of you automatically ask ChatGPT these questions before formulating your own answer?

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  • I'm commenting on your questions backwards..

    Regarding:
    "Are you more impressed by someone who creates content without using generative AI, versus someone who uses AI all the time?"
    It's not a question of being impressed or unimpressed. Most people love seeing talented people do things. I'm sure people will figure out for themselves if they could have achieved more, or done things quicker, and decide for themselves whether they feel it would be a shame if they deliberately held themselves back from doing that much more, or stick to working as before, whatever keeps them creative and productive.

    Another question to think about: Even if you think you're not using AI, how do you know that any content you're learning from was not in part created by AI?

    Here's an example where the combined sum of human plus AI is better than human alone: I worked on this project last night and today, and there's no way I would have achieved it on my own, I simply would not have had the time to complete it. It was just pragmatic to use AI to finish it in a timely manner.

    Also, a small point is that through working on this project I (plus AI) managed to clean up some online digital microphone software, to make it work. Now (or at least when I get around to documenting it) anyone who wants to use that microphone, will be able to benefit from the human+AI effort even if they choose not to use AI themselves.

    Although it wasn't intended to be, it's probably an example of how using AI can result in not regurgitating content, but creating some bits of new material to add into the Internet :)

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  • I'm commenting on your questions backwards..

    Regarding:
    "Are you more impressed by someone who creates content without using generative AI, versus someone who uses AI all the time?"
    It's not a question of being impressed or unimpressed. Most people love seeing talented people do things. I'm sure people will figure out for themselves if they could have achieved more, or done things quicker, and decide for themselves whether they feel it would be a shame if they deliberately held themselves back from doing that much more, or stick to working as before, whatever keeps them creative and productive.

    Another question to think about: Even if you think you're not using AI, how do you know that any content you're learning from was not in part created by AI?

    Here's an example where the combined sum of human plus AI is better than human alone: I worked on this project last night and today, and there's no way I would have achieved it on my own, I simply would not have had the time to complete it. It was just pragmatic to use AI to finish it in a timely manner.

    Also, a small point is that through working on this project I (plus AI) managed to clean up some online digital microphone software, to make it work. Now (or at least when I get around to documenting it) anyone who wants to use that microphone, will be able to benefit from the human+AI effort even if they choose not to use AI themselves.

    Although it wasn't intended to be, it's probably an example of how using AI can result in not regurgitating content, but creating some bits of new material to add into the Internet :)

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