Last month, Dr. Michał Wieczorek, a postdoctoral researcher at Dublin City University and an Irish Research Council Government of Ireland fellow, was featured in an Irish Times article addressing the ethical issues surrounding the use of artificial intelligence in education. Dr. Wieczorek emphasises that while AI has significant potential to enhance teaching and learning, there are substantial issues that need careful consideration.
Dr. Wieczorek explores some of these concerns in the article explaining that “some AI products are commercial and expensive, so not every school can afford them”. Additionally, the successful integration of AI requires adequate training for teachers and up-to-date infrastructure. Without these, schools risk becoming overly dependent on these technologies, potentially leading to ongoing costs for licences and subscriptions.
Transparency is another significant concern. Unlike traditional textbooks, AI systems can embed the biases of their creators, often reflecting societal biases that overlook the experiences of women and minorities. Dr. Wieczorek points out that AI’s opacity can lead to inaccuracies, such as those observed with tools like ChatGPT, which has been known to fabricate citations. This could be problematic if AI-generated content promotes mainstream perspectives at the expense of marginalised voices or specific educational needs.
Dr. Wieczorek also raises alarms about the potential for AI to monitor and assess student behaviour in ways that do not account for diverse needs and characteristics. For instance, if an AI system evaluates students based on attention levels, it could unfairly penalise neurodivergent students.
Despite these concerns, Dr. Wieczorek acknowledges the benefits AI can offer teachers also. AI can perform tasks such as lesson planning and automated assessments more efficiently than humans. He highlights that many teachers are already leveraging these capabilities to streamline their workload and gain deeper insights into student progress through data analytics. Carefully designed AI tools can support neurodivergent students or those with disabilities or learning difficulties by providing tailored educational experiences.
Overall, Dr. Wieczorek’s insights highlight the double-edged nature of AI in education. While AI holds great promise for transforming teaching and learning, it must be adopted with a keen awareness of its ethical implications. Addressing these concerns can ensure that AI becomes a beneficial tool in the educational landscape.
