Exclusive: 'AI Is A Good Servant, But A Bad Master', Expert Views On AI In Education

Globally, educational institutions are proactively developing policies to guide the ethical and effective use of AI in academia. Universities are developing guidelines to address the integration of AI in teaching, learning, and administrative functions for its ethical use complying with the legal standards.

However, no such initiative exists in India, as of now. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has not established specific regulations regarding the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in higher education.

Amid the growing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by students in Higher Education learning centers, Timeline reached out to Dr. Ranu Tomar, Assistant Professor, Amity University, Noida. Dr. Tomar shared her views on a balanced use, impacts, and need for regulating AI tools in education.

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Timeline: There is growing use of AI tools in the education sector. So how do you see this? How it is advancing education and the learning ways of learning for students? 

Dr Ranu Tomar: First of all, the growing use of AI in the education sector is certainly not encouraged by professors.

Mostly it is being used by students or learners in the classroom. Why? They find it a technical convenience to escape the thinking work. So certainly use of AI is not a very good choice and option suggested by teachers or academician.

At least if I as an assistant professor talk about higher education, we assert more on reading, writing, thinking, understanding the construction of thought and getting deeper into the philosophies and relating that all with the realities. So the use of Artificial Intelligence, which is based on certain kind of data already fed in the system, does not enable human potential accurately. It can only help to give you some answers which are already stored in the system.

So if the limitation of my knowledge, if I can speak a bit about softwares which are representing Artificial Intelligence, they are certainly not sufficient to replace human thinking power. So I doubt when we say growing usage of AI in education sector, it is being used without prescription.

Timeline: Is UGC currently working on any guidelines which are targeted for the regulating the use of Artificial Intelligence in higher education sector?

Dr Ranu Tomar: I haven’t looked very consciously about it. Since you are mentioning in the point, I will have to check it.

Otherwise, I only know that yes, inclusion of curriculum related to AI is expected, at least in the areas which are purely related to the development of software, development of new applications in like, you know, pure sciences, which are related to communication technology or engineering. But how they are being used in the industrial purpose.

So, for example, if I talk about mass media, so nowadays use of Artificial Intelligence to get quick facts, but it is also just a suggested area we should be taught to student. But there is not any such strict guideline I have come across.

Timeline: Do you believe that it should be regulated? And if yes, and then how the use of AI tools can be regulated? 

Dr Ranu Tomar: Because a few days back I was listening to one interview of founder of Infosys.

He mentioned very nicely that Artificial Intelligence works in two areas, which are related to machine learning and deep learning. So machine learning is basically about new softwares, which are like, you know, related to artificial intelligence, new tools which are part of some communication system or already fed in system.

Second is deep learning, which is basically about managing data, which is equal to the human thinking capability. But still it again, it is not capable to replace human mind and its infinite possibilities. Even if we attain to have the best deep learning, like, you know, binary system, the code or the language which is based on some kind of coding, it cannot beat human mind.

So AI or artificial intelligence can be a help to reduce the thinking, like, you know, effort, but it cannot replace thinking at all. Can we imagine a human mind without brain biologically?

We should not promote Artificial Intelligence without understanding that what originally it is. So I think every sector is not sufficient to talk about it. It is becoming a fashionable area.

Timeline: So do you think that how these AI tools are compromising the learning abilities and critical thinking of students?

Dr Ranu Tomar: I am already reflecting it that the effort of cognitive learning and mapping and individual takes is not being done actively now. Now what learner does, they just use phone and they just type one word to get the answer and they think that it is the accurate answer.

They take it as a final answer. They do not even try to cross check it. They do not even want to look further any other like, you know, verification of the information.

So thinking like even if I suggest them that what do you know about the best place in your area? They will just type it. They will not think they will not relate it with their experience. And they are totally relying or we are relying on that device.

So thinking and the practice of thinking is reducing every minute. So human mind is not utilizing all the faculties in the brain. So similarly, we are not using all the senses, five senses, six senses accurately.

So it is not only disabling thinking, but it is also disabling the power of five senses and six senses. So thinking is one term, but thinking is not possible also without application of the five senses, which make every thinking effort more meaningful with the signaling to the brain and converting into the action. Right.

So I think this is a threat.

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Timeline: Do you believe that there must be some awareness among the students regarding the negative impacts of AI tools on their critical thinking?

Dr Ranu Tomar: See, when we were kids and we got new TV in our living room, our parents always scolded us that. Do not waste your time because you are just sitting idle in front of the idiot box.

They at that time also our parents knew that we are not thinking and we are just feeding the ideas which are not filtered. So the same thing about the Artificial Intelligence without knowing it clearly, its root, the original branch of knowledge which is coming from the pure engineering or data sciences.

Or something which is related to the information and coding technology. We cannot just make it an essential part of our day to day life unless we know what kind of harm it can do.

So that is why in our school times, we used to write essay on science and we used to write one line. Science is a good servant, but a bad master. So AI is a good servant, but it is certainly a bad master.

So such awareness, like, you know, efforts are needed to keep the human thinking alive, always natural thinking alive.

Timeline: Do you believe that that this self-regulation must be there in the students? And how do you think that this can be obtained? 

Dr Ranu Tomar: See, in my practicing time, I am borrowing the basic reading, learning methods, use of notebook, pen, writing, dictating, discussing, interacting. And I’m trying to reduce maximum engagement with the device so that they can apply thinking, cognitive abilities.

So this is the basic way to get rid of. The threat of a artificial intelligence. Relying on meeting back to the basics and bring them into the practice.

When we have been in school or still kids, those who are in school, they use notebook and pen. Suddenly how one device is able to replace that practice. We need to think about it.

How is it possible? It is possible because we are really not interested in thinking. That’s why.

So it is the compulsion we have made unconsciously or by default in us to rely on device because we don’t want to think.