AI Didn’t Save Us Time — It Stole Our Thinking

This translation app needs some love.

Let’s mark this day in history as the moment I came to the conclusion that AI, while beneficial, is going to become a giant pain in my buttocks. 

Now, granted, I’ve already had my run-ins with ChatGPT, asking it to follow specific instructions only to have it bark back something entirely different. More on that in a moment, but today is the last straw. Honestly, I didn’t ask for my emails to be summarized by AI, and I most definitely didn’t ask AI to start summarizing articles I click on, either. This madness has to stop.

I’m sure this will strike a nerve, but did I ask Google, Yahoo, or any of the search sites to give me a bloody summary for any article I wish to read? There’s the key right? I want to read the article; I don’t need help summarizing a news story like I’m some uneducated schmuck who can’t think for myself. 

Excuse the language, but it does upset me quite a bit, not only as a person but as an educator. 
This isn’t about saving time; it's about taking away the process of reading and thinking. One of the central aspects of developing critical thinking skills, at least in my upbringing, was reading not only for fun but also for research. 

I remember it well: going to the library with a general topic and then having to figure out which books and other resources might have a viable lead for what I was writing about. There was pleasure in flipping through the different cards, using the Dewey Decimal System, and then pulling various texts; hopefully, so I could find what I needed for my research paper. 

Things got a bit easier by the time I was in college, with actual search databases at the library, replacing the card system, but one still had to have an idea what they were looking for and what type of resource would work best. For example, how many people know how to use a microfiche and have actually revisited old newspaper articles? There is something pleasurable about figuring out things for yourself. If there isn't, you might not appreciate learning at all. 

Back to research, there was a real process for requesting books from other libraries, whether virtually or in physical hard copies, and we are now moving away from this entirely. I, for one, understand how easy it is to look up things simply by typing a question into Google or another search engine, or, if you are really lazy, by asking ChatGPT. 

Most people don’t even know that they can disable the AI searches by typing -AI. I know I do this all the time because the information isn’t always correct, the sources can be sketchy, and what are we teaching others, especially young people, about research and letting them figure things out if they are simply clicking on the first link they see? Or in this case, not even clicking on the link, but looking at the summary. 

I remember telling my students ten years ago that they could use Wikipedia for informational research, but they would need to then gather additional information and sources directly from the references cited at the end of the Wikipedia article. I felt this was a compromise of sorts, yet it still forced them to do some fact-finding. I won’t get started on teaching them not to copy and paste, as that's a different issue entirely.

But now, it’s all just a mess. 

Recently, I disabled email summarization and nudges on my email account because, for whatever reason, people must be SO BUSY that they can’t tell for themselves which ones to open or follow up on, and what their previous email exchanges were about. Perhaps there is some real value to this, but for an individual who prides himself on remembering emails and their subjects, it’s offensive, and for younger individuals, it denies them more reading and the ability to differentiate one topic from another. 

While I’m sure some people will find substantial value in this, perhaps the current US President, who wants crib notes on various topics, this is going to only perpetuate the decline in reading, the ability to process information, and, for that matter, decrease attention spans (which is already at an all-time low).

I understand I’m being dramatic on this issue, but there’s a reason a population of people have gone back to basic phones. There’s too much being thrown at everyone right now, and with information overload, AI is only making it worse. 

A perfect example supporting this is how teachers around the world are using AI to develop their lesson plans or to create problem sets or worksheets. God forbid they actually look at a textbook or draw on the resources provided by their school or district. No, we’ll just use this AI bot to decide what Sally and Jonny will complete today. Even better, we’ll have it generate a pacing guide, even though the program can’t account for differentiation or the fact that we are working with little human beings. 

Maybe it’s not ChatGPT, or AI for that matter, that is upsetting me, or my colleagues around the world, but the fact that many of them have decided that these online resources are better than textbooks and curriculum guides created by people far more knowledgeable than they are. That could very well be the case and is a rant for a different time. 

The fact remains that AI is leading people to take shortcuts that aren’t always in their best interest. If you ever listen to my joys of making book covers, you know there are certain areas that are just easier to complete by paying people to do them, as opposed to thinking that AI is the one-stop shop for everything now.

Back to the original topic and my reason for writing this blog: what really bothers me is that tech companies aren't even giving us the opportunity to say no. They are competing with one another to offer the latest and greatest and are simply automating these AI tools. By not giving us the initial choice and a series of clicks to disengage these features, they are making it seem like this current medium is the best way to do things. I would go as far as to say, they might need to look in the mirror and decide if ease is really saving time, and if it is really creating the proper mental space and environment, not only for adults but for all learners. 

That’s my food for thought today. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe all of this change is a good thing, but then again, at least I can read a map, remember a phone number, and send an email without being prompted that it’s time to follow up.

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