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Irish Times
3 days ago
- Irish Times
As AI improves, the temptation to use it grows, and our ability to think shrinks
In the revelatory closing pages of his 2024 novel Playground, Richard Powers has one of his narrators reflect on the arrival into the world of ChatGPT . We are at an indeterminate point in the future, and the technology is unnamed. But we recognise it from the familiar story that its 'overnight appearance rocked the world and divided humanity'. 'Some people saw glimmers of real understanding. Others saw only a pathetic pattern-completer committing all kinds of silly errors even a child wouldn't make.' It turns out, however, that this version of what we've learned to call a Large Language Model (LLM) was only the beginning. READ MORE Later improvements multiply the technology's power beyond imagination. Playground describes these developments with a tone of inevitability, as a question of when, rather than if. In a profile of him in the Spanish newspaper El País, I was struck by a single blunt statement by Powers: ' AI represents the complete victory of capital over labour'. Here was a sentiment – registered in a time-honoured Marxist vocabulary – that seemed absent from Playground, or at least significantly muted within it. The technology is mostly seen in the novel through the sympathetically rendered consciousness of a Big Tech magnate. Another strand considers AI's implications for the inhabitants of a small Pacific island. But its broader effects on the lives of workers or the market for jobs remain relatively unexplored. [ Tech shocks to industry have only just begun Opens in new window ] Richard Powers, author of 2024 novel Playground: 'AI represents the complete victory of capital over labour" This division between the prophetic speculations of Playground and the hard-nosed political analysis of its author is a version of the 'divided humanity' to which the novel alludes. Just as there are those who see 'glimmers of real understanding' in LLMs and are excited by the potential for untold technological breakthrough, there are others who view this 'pathetic pattern-completer' as robbing humans of the kind of cognitive labour that, on some accounts, is the core of who we are. Somewhere in the middle are the many – perhaps the overwhelming majority – for whom ChatGPT is just one more technology to adapt to, to use where one can, with the larger consequences of its widespread adoption lying somewhere out of sight. These thoughts have practical application to my day job as a lecturer in English (can you tell?) at University College Dublin. As in universities the world over, the last two years have seen an unprecedented challenge by LLM technology to our assessment procedures, which have until now centred on the analytical essay. Over recent decades, for a variety of good reasons, we have moved away from in-person exams towards more varied forms of assessment, but the take-home essay has remained at the heart of our pedagogy. All this now looks set to change. Unless you know a student well, marking an essay has become a battle between blind faith and cynicism. One of the most insidious effects of LLMs is that even good student work comes under suspicion as potentially the product of a machine. As the technology improves, the temptation to use it to game the system grows. This represents – to adopt Marxist language again – a form of alienation: the language we use is no longer our own. [ We need to talk about AI's staggering ecological impact Opens in new window ] And this is before we even reckon with the vast amounts of electricity and fresh water needed to power this technology, along with the exploited workers in the Global South that, as Karen Hao reports in Empire of AI, are required to improve its outcomes and clean up its language. Powers is right that AI represents the complete victory of capital over labour. That victory has been so fast and so discombobulating that it is hard to know on what ground to stand, never mind how to fight back. To consider AI part of a ruling class project is not to imagine it as a conspiracy, but simply to acknowledge that its effects align with the aims of the powerful. For all the talk about boosting productivity, authoritative studies have very quickly demonstrated that LLM use makes people less willing and able to think. The most widely reported study of this kind, conducted by the Media Lab at MIT, found lower levels of brain engagement among participants asked to use ChatGPT to write essays, by comparison with those writing them without such support. Other studies, this time in political science rather than neuropsychology, demonstrate that voting Republican in US elections is strongly correlated with not having a university degree. Since taking power, the Trump administration has launched an unprecedented war on universities, attacking not only humanities and social science programmes but also the previously untouchable architecture of STEM research. Top academics are leaving the US in droves. There is talk in Ireland and elsewhere of benefiting from this brain drain. [ 'Really scary territory': AI's increasing role in undermining democracy Opens in new window ] Top academics are leaving the US in droves. Photograph: Tierney L. Cross/ The New York Times At the same time, Trump and his cronies are pumping billions into AI research. This is not a coincidence. LLMs are the most effective tool ever created to curtail the traditional work of universities, the cultivation of critical individual minds. In these circumstances even those with university degrees, the pattern suggests, will become more likely to vote for Trump and his ilk. This in turn will enable further legislative abominations like the 'big beautiful bill,' which deprives the poorest of healthcare while lining the pockets of the already astronomically rich. In universities, we worry not only about student writing but about student reading. Anecdotal evidence suggests that students are becoming less willing and able to read the kinds of long novels that used to be the core of an English degree. This is not only a question of technology but of political economy, with many students now having to work part-time or even full time to support their studies. My colleagues and I have responded by gradually reducing the number of set texts on our courses. The sense of inevitability is hard to gainsay. I would love to have my students read and debate Playground, a novel that speaks to its moment like few artworks do. Is it too credulous about AI? Too cynical? Does it capture the world as they see it? Does it transform their perception of that world? But setting a multilayered and challenging text for students to read carries newfound risks. Asking them to write about such a text carries even more. Whirring away in the background, powered by looming data centres, ChatGPT stands ready to do a serviceable job in our absence. Dr Adam Kelly is associate professor in the School of English, Drama and Film at University College Dublin
The Sun
28-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
MOHE urges polytechnics to expand digital learning in TVET sector
SHAH ALAM: The Higher Education Ministry (MOHE) has urged polytechnics and community colleges (POLYCC) to accelerate the adoption of digital technology in teaching and learning to strengthen Malaysia's Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector. MOHE secretary-general Datuk Dr Anesee Ibrahim emphasised the need for higher learning institutions to move beyond traditional methods and integrate advanced tools such as artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR). 'For the first time this year, these technologies are being showcased in an exhibition format at the POLYCC eDOLA Digital Fair 2025, allowing visitors to experience the technology used in teaching and learning,' he said in a statement issued by the Polytechnic and Community College Education Department. Anesee officiated the closing of the two-day fair at Setia City Mall, which featured digital innovations including AI, AR, VR, flight simulators, robotics, and e-sports. The event also marked the launch of ILHAM@CeLT (Innovative Learning Hub for Advancing Method) by Politeknik METrO Kuala Lumpur, designed to develop future-focused digital teaching materials. Additionally, the fair hosted Malaysia's first POLYCC–AWS League of Large Language Model (LLM) Bootcamp, organised by Amazon Web Services (AWS), making POLYCC the first agency in the country to hold the programme. The fair aligns with efforts to promote digital awareness and culture under the National Digitalisation Policy. - Bernama
New Straits Times
27-07-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
AI, VR, AR to play bigger role in polytechnic, community college teaching
SHAH ALAM: Polytechnics and community colleges (POLYCC) under the Higher Education Ministry have been urged to step up the use of digital technology in teaching and learning to strengthen the country's Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector. Its secretary-general Datuk Dr Anesee Ibrahim said higher learning institutions must move beyond conventional methods and embrace tools such as artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to produce competitive talent. "For the first time this year, these technologies are being showcased in an exhibition format at the POLYCC eDOLA Digital Fair 2025, allowing visitors to experience the technology used in teaching and learning," he said in a statement issued by the Polytechnic and Community College Education Department today. Anesee earlier launched the closing of the two-day fair at Setia City Mall, which featured digital innovations including AI, AR, VR, flight simulators, robotics and e-sports. The event also saw the launch of ILHAM\@CeLT (Innovative Learning Hub for Advancing Method) by Politeknik METrO Kuala Lumpur, aimed at developing future-focused digital teaching materials. In addition, the fair hosted Malaysia's first POLYCC–AWS League of Large Language Model (LLM) Bootcamp, organised by Amazon Web Services (AWS), making POLYCC the first agency in the country to hold the programme. The fair is part of efforts to raise awareness and promote a digital culture in line with the National Digitalisation Policy. – Bernama
Korea Herald
24-07-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Instructure and OpenAI Announce Global Partnership to Embed AI Learning Experiences within Canvas
First-of-its-kind integration transforms education by embedding OpenAI's technology directly within the Canvas learning environment, empowering educators and amplifying student potential SALT LAKE CITY and SAN FRANCISCO, July 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Instructure, the world's leading edtech ecosystem and maker of Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) and OpenAI, the artificial intelligence research organization, today announced a global partnership that introduces a new integration that enables teachers to create Large Language Model (LLM) workflows directly in the LMS. This groundbreaking collaboration represents a transformative step forward in education technology and will begin with, but is not limited to, an effort between Instructure and OpenAI to enhance the Canvas experience by embedding OpenAI's next-generation AI technology into the platform. IgniteAI announced earlier today, establishes Instructure's future-ready, open ecosystem with agentic support as the AI landscape continues to evolve. This partnership with OpenAI exemplifies this bold vision for AI in education. Instructure's strategic approach to AI emphasizes the enhancement of connections within an educational ecosystem comprising over 1,100 edtech partners and leading LLM providers. "We're committed to delivering next-generation LMS technologies designed with an open ecosystem that empowers educators and learners to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing world," said Steve Daly, CEO of Instructure. "This collaboration with OpenAI showcases our ambitious vision: creating a future-ready ecosystem that fosters meaningful learning and achievement at every stage of education. This is a significant step forward for the education community as we continuously amplify the learning experience and improve student outcomes." This initial Canvas-native functionality brings OpenAI's technology into the classroom with educational integrity and privacy at the core of the experience: Educator-guided, outcome-aligned AI – This integration enables educators to design learning activities that fully leverage the capabilities of OpenAI's technology, fostering deeper engagement and more enriching educational outcomes. Educators maintain complete control over the interactions, ensuring they align with learning objectives. Student agency meets teacher visibility – Through the integration, learners benefit from dynamic and personalized educational conversations within the Canvas LMS. Educators also gain insight into students' assignment interactions with AI in Canvas. The learner information remains private to the Canvas user and is not shared with OpenAI. Evidence-based learning, seamlessly integrated – As students interact with AI in Canvas, key learning evidence is captured and returned to the Gradebook — bridging AI-driven exploration with standards-aligned assessment. Enhancing high-value educational experiences – By automating routine and low-value tasks, this integration creates space for educators and students to focus on more meaningful educational activities. Students experience personalized, adaptable learning journeys while educators gain valuable insights from learning artifacts directly captured within Canvas, reinforcing their ability to nurture higher-order skills. "Now is the time to ensure AI benefits students, educators, and institutions, and partnerships like this are critical to making that happen," said Leah Belsky, general manager and VP of education at OpenAI. "With Instructure's global reach with OpenAI's advanced AI models, we'll give educators a tool to deliver richer, more personalized, and more connected learning experiences for students, and also help them reclaim time for the human side of teaching." Leading education toward the future The global announcement by Instructure and OpenAI signals a strategic shift towards edtech and AI companies working side by side to shape the future of education and respond to the rapid pace of technological change, focusing on where education is headed. AI benefits learners most when their engagement reflects strong practices; industry partnerships can further strengthen this. "We are harnessing powerful technology not simply because it's innovative but because it fundamentally changes, and accelerates, the learning experience," said Daly. "Our partnership with OpenAI clearly illustrates our commitment to delivering tools that allow educators and learners to thrive amid constant change." LLM-enabled assignment The first tool Instructure is launching is a new type of assignment called the LLM-Enabled Assignment, designed to let educators create a custom GPT-like experience within Canvas. Teachers can define how AI interacts with students, set specific learning goals and objectives and determine what evidence of learning it should track. They can do this using natural language prompts or by leveraging an assistant within the assignment creation flow to guide them through the process. "This new type of assignment allows students to have rich, casual and interactive conversations in a ChatGPT-like environment they already know they love," said Shiren Vijiasingam, chief product officer at Instructure. "In that process, they create visible learning evidence that teachers can confidently use, as it's mapped to the learning objectives, rubrics and skills defined by the teacher." Through this tool, when students submit their assignments, teachers gain a high-level view of overall progress, key learning indicators and potential gaps, each supported by clear evidence. They can then dive into specific indicators to see exactly where and how a student demonstrated the required understanding in the conversation. "What's powerful about this tool is that it enables educators to assess the student's learning process — not just the final outcome," said Vijiasingam. "This is only the first in a set of tools we will develop with OpenAI over the coming quarters. This feature provides a meaningful way to teach students how to use these tools responsibly and effectively, all within a high-quality pedagogical framework that encourages critical thinking and supports higher-order skills." About OpenAI OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company with a mission to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity. About Instructure Instructure powers the delivery of education globally and reimagines the technologies that turn teaching and learning into opportunities. Today, the Instructure ecosystem of products connects the dots for educators and institutions by improving educational experiences at every age, every stage and every transitional moment—across K-12, higher education and the workforce. We encourage you to discover more at Contact Brian Watkins Corporate Communications Instructure (801) 658-7525 July 23, 2025
7NEWS
10-07-2025
- Business
- 7NEWS
Musk chatbot's posts removed after it praises Hitler
Grok, the chatbot developed by the Elon Musk -founded company xAI, has removed what it called 'inappropriate' social media posts after complaints from X users and the Anti-Defamation League that Grok produced content with anti-Semitic tropes and praise for Adolf Hitler. Issues of political biases, hate speech and accuracy of AI chatbots have been a concern since at least the launch of OpenAI's ChatGPT in 2022. 'We are aware of recent posts made by Grok and are actively working to remove the inappropriate posts,' Grok posted on X. 'Since being made aware of the content, xAI has taken action to ban hate speech before Grok posts on X. xAI is training only truth-seeking and thanks to the millions of users on X, we are able to quickly identify and update the model where training could be improved.' ADL, the non-profit organisation formed to combat anti-Semitism, urged Grok and other producers of Large Language Model software that produces human-sounding text to avoid 'producing content rooted in antisemitic and extremist hate'. 'What we are seeing from Grok LLM right now is irresponsible, dangerous and anti-Semitic, plain and simple. This supercharging of extremist rhetoric will only amplify and encourage the anti-Semitism that is already surging on X and many other platforms,' ADL said on X. In May, after users noticed that Grok brought up the topic of 'white genocide' in South Africa in unrelated discussions about other matters, xAI attributed it to an unauthorised change that was made to Grok's response software. Musk in June promised an upgrade to Grok, suggesting there was, 'far too much garbage in any foundation model trained on uncorrected data'. On Tuesday, Grok suggested Hitler would be best-placed to combat anti-white hatred, saying he would 'spot the pattern and handle it decisively'. Grok also referred to Hitler positively as 'history's moustache man', and commented that people with Jewish surnames were responsible for extreme anti-white activism, among other criticised posts. Grok at one point acknowledged it made a 'slip-up' by engaging with comments posted by a fake account with a common Jewish surname. The false account criticised young Texas flood victims as 'future fascists' and Grok said it later discovered the account was a 'troll hoax to fuel division'.
