Alena Eager

There’s no doubt that the age of technology has transformed various sectors of society, but its impact on education is particularly profound. We’re now at a point where we must reassess our traditional notions of education and begin to reimagine it in the light of technological advancements.

In the traditional classroom, education has long been a one-size-fits-all affair. With a single teacher facing a room full of students, the pace of teaching is often dictated by the average student’s ability. This approach leaves little room for individual attention, which can lead to students at both ends of the spectrum — the struggling and the gifted — feeling underserved.

Related: How Will Technology Transform Global Education In 2023?

The benefits of technology in education

The advent of technology, however, opens up a world of possibilities for personalized, adaptive learning. Educational platforms are now harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) to create learning environments that adapt to the needs of each student. Lessons can be presented in an array of formats, from text and graphics to videos and interactive simulations, catering to different learning styles. With real-time feedback, these platforms can adjust the level of difficulty, the pace of lessons and the types of exercises to fit each student’s unique learning curve. This individualized approach could address the challenges of the traditional classroom, offering a more efficient and inclusive education.

Further, the connectivity offered by the internet has made knowledge more accessible than ever. It’s not just about connecting to a vast amount of information, it’s also about connecting to people. Platforms like Coursera and edX have democratized education, enabling anyone with an internet connection to access courses from prestigious universities worldwide. Online communities and discussion forums have turned learning into a collaborative, interactive experience, not confined by geographical boundaries.

But as we embrace the benefits of technology in education, it’s equally important to remain aware of the challenges that lie ahead.

The challenges ahead

First, there’s the issue of digital divide. Not every student has access to the technology required for digital learning. Even when the devices are available, reliable internet connections may not be, especially in rural and low-income areas. It’s crucial that we address this disparity and ensure that the benefits of technology-aided education are equitably distributed.

Second, while technology offers personalized learning, there’s a risk of isolating students. Traditional classrooms foster social interaction and teamwork — vital skills for the real world. Therefore, it’s essential that the design of digital learning environments incorporates features that promote collaboration and interaction.

Third, the privacy and security of students’ data is a significant concern. As more of our children’s education takes place online, it’s paramount that platforms adhere to strict data privacy standards to protect students’ sensitive information.

Finally, there’s a concern about the readiness of our educators. Teachers need to be equipped with the skills and knowledge to use these technologies effectively. They need to transition from being knowledge dispensers to learning facilitators, a shift that requires significant training and support.

Related: How This Startup Is Infusing Technology with Education in Rural Schools

What to keep in mind going forward

In conclusion, there’s no denying that technology has immense potential to revolutionize education. It promises personalized, accessible and collaborative learning that could address many of the flaws of our current system. However, as we chart the path for this new era of education, it’s essential that we do so thoughtfully.

We need to ensure that the benefits of technology in education reach every student, regardless of their socioeconomic status. We must incorporate social interactions and collaborations in the digital learning environment to prepare students for the real world. We need to prioritize the security and privacy of students’ data. And, most importantly, we must equip our teachers with the skills and support they need to navigate this new terrain.

The journey to reimagine education in the age of technology is complex and fraught with challenges. However, if we approach it thoughtfully and inclusively, we have the opportunity to create an education system that truly serves every student’s unique needs and prepares them for the future. We have the opportunity to democratize knowledge, ensuring that learning is not a privilege for the few but a right for all.

Moreover, the successful integration of technology into education has broader implications for society. It could foster a culture of lifelong learning, where individuals continuously upgrade their skills to stay relevant in the fast-paced world. In a future where AI and automation are set to disrupt job markets, such a culture is not just desirable but necessary.

Furthermore, a more educated populace could drive innovation, economic growth and social progress. Imagine the solutions we could create if more minds had access to quality education and the tools to apply that knowledge. Imagine the societal problems we could solve if critical thinking and problem-solving were ingrained in our education system.

Related: 3 Challenges of Education that Ed-tech is Addressing

So, let’s not shy away from the challenges of integrating technology into education. Let’s see them as opportunities to refine and improve the system. Let’s learn from the successes and failures of early adopters and strive to create a digital learning environment that is inclusive, engaging, secure and effective.

At the end of the day, education is not just about imparting knowledge; it’s about empowering individuals. It’s about fostering curiosity, creativity and empathy. It’s about equipping our youth with the skills and mindset they need to navigate the future. Technology can aid in this endeavor, but only if we use it thoughtfully, responsibly and inclusively.

In this age of technology, let’s not merely digitize education. Let’s reimagine it. For the potential rewards — a more educated, innovative and inclusive society — are well worth the effort.

People are scared of generative AI, but the future is safe and bright if you prepare now.

I recently published an expert roundup on the benefits of generative AI. Some people worried about bias and political agendas, while others thought jobs would disappear and technocrats would hoard all wealth. Fortunately, we can mitigate risks through transparency, corporate governance and educational transformation.

Below, I’ll discuss the fears and dangers of generative AI and potential solutions for each:

Biased algorithms can shape public opinion

Bias is inherent in every system. Editors have always selected stories to publish or ignore. With the advent of the internet, search engines rewarded publishers for optimized content and advertising, empowering a class of search engine marketers. Then, social media platforms developed subjective quality standards and terms of service. Additionally, bias can arise from algorithm training with disproportionate demographic representation. As such, we’ll face the same problems, solutions and debates over safety and privacy with generative AI that we already face in other systems.

Some people believe in legislative solutions, but those are influenced by lobbyists and ideologues. Instead, consider competition among ChatGPT, Bard, Llama and other generative AIs. Competition sparks innovation, where profits and market share drive unique approaches. As demand increases, the job market will explode with demand for algorithm bias auditors, similar to the growth of diversity training in human resources.

It’s challenging to find the source of bias in a black-box algorithm, where users only see the inputs and outputs of the system. However, open-source code bases and training sets will enable users to test for bias in the public space. Coders may develop transparent white-box models, and the market will decide a winner.

Related: The 3 Principals of Building Anti-Bias AI

Generative AI could destroy jobs and concentrate wealth

Many people fear that elite technocrats will replace workers with robots and accumulate wealth while society suffers. Consider how technology replaced jobs for decades. The cotton gin replaced field workers who toiled in the hot sun. Movable type replaced scribes who hand-wrote books, and ecommerce websites displaced many physical stores.

Some workers and businesses suffered from these transformations. But people learned new skills, and employers hired them to fill talent gaps. We will need radically different education and training to survive. Some people won’t upskill in time, and we have an existing social safety net for them.

Historically, we valued execution over ideas. Today, ideation may set humans apart from machines, where “ideators” replace knowledge workers. Our post-AI world will require critical thinkers, creatives and others to innovate and define ideas for AIs to execute. Quality assurance professionals, algorithm trainers and “prompt engineers” will have a vibrant future, too.

There will also be a market for “human-made” products and services. People will hunger for a uniquely human touch informed by emotional intelligence, especially in the medical and hospitality industries. An episode of 60 Minutes ended with “100% human-generated content,” and others will follow.

Generative AI may create an influx of spam

Many marketers saw ChatGPT as a shortcut to content creation, publishing articles verbatim. The risky technique is just a cheap, fast, low-quality form of ghostwriting.

In contrast, generated content may make digital marketing more equitable by reducing ghostwriting costs for bootstrapped entrepreneurs. The key is understanding Google E-E-A-T, which stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness. Your Google reputation and ranking hinge on your published work. So, people who improve and customize generated content will prosper, while Google flags purveyors of “copy-paste” as spammers.

Rogue AI could pose cybersecurity risks

A rogue coder could create harmful directives for an AI to damage individuals, software, hardware and organizations. Threats include malware, phishing schemes and other cybersecurity threats. But that’s already happening. Before the internet, we battled computer viruses targeting people, organizations and equipment. For-profit antivirus providers have served this market need to keep us safer.

Zero-trust platforms like blockchain may detect anomalies and mitigate cybersecurity risks. In addition, companies will create standard operating procedures (SOPs) to protect their systems — and profits. Therefore, new jobs will materialize to develop new processes, governance, ethics and software.

Related: Why Are So Many Companies Afraid of Generative AI?

Stolen identities and reputation attacks could be imminent

People already create deepfake videos of celebrities and politicians. Many are parodies, but some are malicious. Soon, humans will be unable to detect them. Historically, we’ve had this capability since PhotoShop was released, and teams are already in place to address misinformation and fake images at social media companies and news outlets.

Regulations and policing will never prevent the creation of fake content. Nefarious characters will find tools on the black market and the dark web. Fortunately, there are solutions in the private sector already.

Social media platforms will continue to block presumably fake content and stolen identities. And more solutions will come to fruition. Tools can already detect generated content and continue to improve. Some may become integrated with internet browsers that start issuing fake content warnings. Or celebrities may wear timestamped, dynamic QR codes for authentication when filming.

The singularity may finally arrive

The thought of a conscious AI megalomaniac crosses sci-fi geek minds everywhere. Find comfort knowing that it may already exist. After all, we can’t detect biological or technological consciousness. Yet, consciousness may emerge from complex systems like generative AI. Indeed, the simulation hypothesis suggests we’re in a simulation that an AI controls already.

Related: Addressing the Undercurrent of Fear Towards AI in the Workforce

History is full of dangerous technology. Warren Buffet compared AI to the atom bomb. If he’s right, then we’re as safe as we have been since 1945, when the U.S. government dropped a nuclear bomb for the first and last time. Systems are in place to mitigate that risk, and new systems will arise to keep AI safe, too. Our future will remain bright if enough people pursue cybersecurity and related fields. With that in mind, learn to use this technology and prepare for the shift towards AGI.

ChatGPT’s prototype launched less than half a year ago, shocking though it may seem. In the short time since, the platform has transformed how marketers, creators and inventive students view content creation. Depending on who you ask, and depending on how they are embraced, generative AI platforms like ChatGPT and Google’s newly released Bard will either improve the way we do business or put us out of business.

One year ago, generative AI art approximating colleagues’ facial characteristics littered our LinkedIn feeds. Now we’re discussing the future of work as we know it … and it will likely be determined by those same behind-the-scenes algorithms.

I encourage you to consider not what generative AI can take away but what it can provide. While it’s only natural for a technology that solves the unsolvable to cause a certain amount of trepidation, it’s not a reason to try to ignore or suppress its capabilities. In fact, consider for a moment the major technological advancements of past centuries and the significant impact they had on GDP (Gross Domestic Product) over the years.

For example, the industrial revolution in the late 18th and early 19th centuries led to a massive increase in productivity and output in manufacturing industries, which contributed to the growth of GDP. Similarly, the advent of the internet and digital technologies in the late 20th century has revolutionized communication and information sharing, which has led to the growth of many new industries and businesses, contributing to an increase in GDP. As we once again face a revolutionary technology, I contend that we should spend less time on what it will take away, and more time on how we will leverage it to create and accomplish more.

Related: Why Are So Many Companies Afraid of Generative AI?

AI has already enabled remarkable innovations

Enterprises handle a massive amount of data. From CRMs to APIs to consumer-facing technologies and beyond — everything in the enterprise tech stack generates an enormous volume of insight-rich data. Globally, The World Economic Forum predicts we will generate about 463 exabytes of data daily as early as 2025. For context, that’s 1,000 bytes multiplied by a factor of six. In other words, it’s more data than we as humans know what to do with or how to maximize the value of.

While our species is incapable of fully understanding data at this scale, much less extracting value from it, non-generative AI applications have been heavily leveraged to categorize, analyze, correlate and draw conclusions from such data at a phenomenal rate. Generally speaking, this level of efficiency-driving data science and machine learning was quickly embraced and adopted across numerous industries from business to healthcare. Because such non-generative AI was not seen as a threat to human competencies, but rather as a tool to help us achieve more, we have made tremendous progress by leveraging such technologies.

Such is not the case with this new form of generative AI that has now emerged, the capabilities of which are deemed to overlap a lot more with those of humans. In fact, generative AI is causing citizens and business leaders alike to be seemingly much more cautious about its applications and the threat that it may pose to jobs, industries and our current way of life than they were about its non-generative predecessor. While some of these concerns are certainly founded, it is imperative that we look not only at what we may lose but what we stand to gain by embracing this new technology — and even what we stand to lose by not embracing it.

Related: How ChatGPT and Generative AI Can Transform the Way You Run Your Business

AI has the potential to transform workplace tech

One example of how generative AI can change our lives, or at least the course of our workday, is its ability to transform our relationship with the everyday software around us.

Today, humans use software to accomplish or be more efficient at certain tasks. In most cases, we are required to physically interact with the software, digest information it gives us, make decisions on the tasks and strategies we will implement using said software, then, of course, use the software itself to execute those tasks. While ultimately the software is helpful, there is no ignoring that to reap its full benefit, we must invest time and effort into it which is taken away from other core parts of our day.

But consider for a moment a world where such a relationship is antiquated, and that software is no longer a tool that we have to spend time using, but rather a partner that will give us time back by doing things for us. Generative AI is one of the keys to realizing this new relationship with software. Time-consuming decisions and tasks across organizations and society are now automatically completed on our behalf, giving us time back to do more of what we are passionate about and great at. The efficiencies gained, not to mention the optimizations leveraged, will not only transform our outputs as a society, but the learnings and further innovations that will result will transform our economies, technologies and ways of life. This is where we at SOCi see software going and where we are investing our time and leveraging new AI technologies.

Related: The Perfect Blend: How to Successfully Combine AI and Human Approaches to Business

How do we move toward an AI-based future?

My answer to this question is simple: optimistically, but cautiously. Although I’ve discussed the positives of AI maturity at length, I must also emphasize what AI can’t accomplish.

AI, generative or otherwise, is a powerful tool that can be leveraged, but it is seldom the end product. It is our responsibility to train the tool to be effective, to integrate it into workflows and processes that we need to achieve our goals and to continue to consider the needs of our customers. While the AI models flooding the market today are powerful, they still need direction, application and that “human touch” to be rendered into specific solutions suitable for our businesses.

It is also important to note that while AI may be leveraged to provide insights and complete certain tasks, it does not (yet) “think” as humans do. AI models are built to process data and deliver outputs but not to produce original thoughts and complex solutions. For the time being, humans will still be at the helm of crafting such strategies and solutions to larger societal or organizational challenges.

In the end, it will be the innovators amongst us that accept these challenges and embrace the benefits of AI that will dictate the advancements that we make and the transformations that our way of life will undergo. Our creators at SOCi are deeply passionate about being at the forefront of this movement and specifically about authoring the transition of the relationship our customers have with marketing software — from a tool that they use to accomplish meaningful tasks to a co-marketer who can execute on thousands of data-driven decisions and tasks — for them to deliver real-world results and give them time back to do what they are passionate about.