←back to thread

AI will make our children stupid

(thecritic.co.uk)
65 points binning | 3 comments | 20 Dec 25 19:24 UTC | HN request time: 0.768s | source
Show context
ChrisMarshallNY ◴[20 Dec 25 20:05 UTC] No.46339107[source]▶
Yeah, when they allowed calculators in the classroom, we all started getting dumber.

If that sounded silly, it was exactly what they said would happen, when that came to pass (I grew up in the last generation where they weren't allowed. I know lots of folks younger than me, that I think are smarter than I am).

replies(2): >>46339158 #>>46339180 #
femiagbabiaka ◴[20 Dec 25 20:10 UTC] No.46339158[source]▶
The calculator analogy doesn’t really work, speaking as someone who is more of an AI booster than skeptic. The addition of calculators to the classroom necessitated a change in pedagogy. So now kids learn how to do math without them, and then add them once the fundamentals are there. Learning how to think is even more foundational.
replies(1): >>46339302 #
1. PaulDavisThe1st ◴[20 Dec 25 20:23 UTC] No.46339302[source]▶
Quite debatable. Learning how to think frequently involves basic math skills like "hmm, they claim a two of order of magnitude effect, but is that even feasible?" When you can't do "math" like that in your head, your ability to think is significantly impaired, as we are currently seeing.
replies(1): >>46339334 #
2. femiagbabiaka ◴[20 Dec 25 20:27 UTC] No.46339334[source]▶
I think we agree? If LLMs will be included in classroom learning at all, it has to be done with an understanding of how it will affect learning outcomes, and it’s not clear that the effect will be the same as introducing calculators was, at all.
replies(1): >>46339381 #
3. ChrisMarshallNY ◴[20 Dec 25 20:32 UTC] No.46339381[source]▶
I don't think it will be the same, but I also don't think we have any idea how it will actually affect us. Human development is a true chaos system. Psychohistory is fiction. Maybe AI might be able to enable it, but it sure ain't here, now.

If we are looking just at IQ scores, then there's literally, billions of factors involved. It could be chemistry, nuclear radiation, malnutrition, stress, etc.

Most of that stuff is totally unpredictable, and we can only tell, after the fact.

Alea jacta est. There's nothing we can do about it. The candy ain't going back into the piñata. We'll just have to see what happens.