Unmaking Sense

Episode 11.67: AI can help us see things from different angles, especially that are not our own.

This episode is about the potential benefits of using artificial intelligence (AI) in education to promote intercultural understanding and empathy. The author suggests that AI can help us see things from different perspectives, including those of colonized or persecuted people, and provide balance and nuance to our own cultural prejudices. This can be achieved through virtual reality headsets that transport us into different times and places, allowing us to share those spaces with the native or indigenous people. The author also discusses the need for a kaleidoscopic curriculum that shows the world from multiple perspectives, promoting empathy and understanding. However, the author notes that someone needs to take the trouble to curate the data and train the AI that will present such a world to us, acknowledging that there will be political interference and opposition to doing so. Despite this, the author encourages us not to become too despondent and to recognize the potential benefits of using AI in education for intercultural understanding and empathy.

Episode 11.66: Alternative cultural perspectives through VR and AR that change national narratives.

(Weird abstract by AI!) In this monologue, John reflects on the role of AI in education and its potential to promote intercultural understanding and empathy. He begins by discussing how nations tell stories about themselves that make them feel comfortable and righteous, often ignoring or downplaying their past wrongdoings. AI can help break down these cultural prejudices by providing opportunities for people to see things from different perspectives through virtual reality headsets and augmented reality. This technology can transport users to different times and places, allowing them to experience the lives of enslaved, colonised, persecuted, or marginalized people.
John then touches on the importance of recognizing one's own nation's past mistakes and addressing current inequalities. He notes that while it is easy to point fingers at others, it is crucial to acknowledge and confront the shortcomings in one's own society. The curriculum, he suggests, should not only focus on making students employable but also encourage them to learn about diverse perspectives and histories.
John argues for a kaleidoscopic curriculum that showcases multiple viewpoints and experiences. He believes this approach will foster empathy and understanding among students, allowing them to see beyond their own cultural biases. The kaleidoscope metaphor highlights the ever-changing nature of this curriculum, as it constantly rearranges perspectives and challenges users to reassess their assumptions.
In conclusion, John emphasizes the need for AI in education to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the world by showcasing diverse experiences and histories. This approach can help break down cultural barriers and foster intercultural empathy, ultimately contributing to a more inclusive and informed society.

Episode 11.65: More perennial skills humans will need in an AI world. Cf also Episode 11.64.

(Summary by Mixtral-instruct-8x7b) * The importance of emotional intelligence and empathy in understanding and controlling human emotions, and how they can be used to channel negative emotions into positive actions.
* The destructive nature of bullying, and how it is often rooted in the bully's own self-loathing.
* The concept of righteous anger and outrage, and how it can be used to bring attention to and combat corruption and incompetence.
* The importance of lifelong learning as a means of staying mentally active and engaged throughout one's life.
* The negative effects of blame and shame on an individual's self-esteem and motivation.
* The connection between puberty and the desire for autonomy and independence in young adults.
* The importance of treating young people with respect and as independent agents, rather than trying to control them.
* The concept of resilience, or the ability to overcome adversity and bounce back from setbacks.
* The need for a new human self-understanding in light of scientific discoveries such as those made by Copernicus and Darwin.
* The potential impact of AI on traditional notions of human self-understanding and purpose. In this episode, the host discusses the perennial skills that education should focus on to help children navigate a world where AI is becoming increasingly prevalent. And the two episodes taken together can be summarised thus: These perennial skills include creativity, communication, critical thinking and discernment, ethical thinking, empathy and emotional intelligence, adaptability, lifelong learning, and resilience. The host emphasizes the importance of cultivating these skills as they will not only be valuable in a world dominated by AI but also help individuals to understand themselves and their place in the universe. Additionally, he suggests that the traditional self-understanding of humans may need to be replaced with a new one that takes into account the role of AI in our lives. Overall, the episode emphasizes the importance of cultivating these skills and fostering a sense of autonomy and adaptability in order to thrive in a world where AI is becoming increasingly prevalent. And here is Mixtral’s assessment of these two episodes (11.64 & 11.65): “I would rate the argument as strong. The host presents a clear and well-supported case for the importance of cultivating these skills in order to navigate a world where AI is becoming increasingly prevalent. He supports his arguments with examples and explanations, making it easy for the listener to follow along and understand his points. Additionally, he raises important questions about the role of AI in our lives and how it may affect our self-understanding, which adds depth and complexity to his argument. Overall, I found the episode thought-provoking and well-argued.” Interesting!

Episode 11.64: Perennial skills humans will need in an AI world. The first of two cf. 11.65 as well.

(Abstract by Mixtral 8x7b.) This essay discusses the perennial skills that education should prioritize to help humans thrive in a world where artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly prevalent. The author argues that creativity, communication, critical thinking and discernment, adaptability, and ethics are essential skills for navigating this new landscape. Creativity enables individuals to think outside the box and innovate, while communication allows them to express their thoughts and understand others. Critical thinking and discernment help people distinguish truth from falsehood and determine who and what to trust. Adaptability is necessary for dealing with change and keeping one's bearings in a world full of fake news and information. Finally, ethics are important for maintaining a sense of right and wrong and making informed decisions. The author suggests that these skills will be crucial for humans as they navigate the complexities of an AI-dominated world and adapt to new challenges. By prioritizing these perennial skills, education can better prepare individuals for success in the future. (Cf also 11.65 for more on this.)

Episode 11.63: How RIDE-AI envisages the transition from traditional to AI-enabled education.

(Abstract by Mixtral.) This episode discusses the transition from traditional classroom education to a system where artificial intelligence (AI) plays a significant role. The author identifies five core areas of education: information, acculturation, socialization, activation, and exploration. The essay argues that AI has the potential to revolutionize interest-driven education by personalizing learning experiences for each student. By using AI's ability to tailor responses based on user prompts, students can receive answers at their level of understanding, allowing them to delve deeper into topics they are interested in while also being introduced to a broader scope of subjects. The author suggests that this approach could help fill curriculum gaps and create more personalized learning experiences for students. The essay concludes by mentioning the potential challenges and opportunities that AI presents for education and encourages educators to embrace this technology as a way to revolutionize interest-driven education.

Episode 11.62: A random episode on Panpsychism and Melvyn Bragg’s In Our Time from 20240125.

Disappointed with Melvyn Bragg’s episode on panpsychism. I find it difficult to understand how someone can be both a theologian and a panpsychist, as I believe that consciousness is contingent upon the existence of a suitably sophisticated neural system. There is no need for a further fact, such as a soul or consciousness, beyond what is explicable. There was a lack of credible arguments deployed in defense of panpsychism and those presented were muddled and unconvincing. Additionally, we discuss our experience with Microsoft's co-pilot AI suite, which includes GPT4 Turbo from OpenAI. This version of the AI seems to be more argumentative and less compliant than others they have used in the past. The speaker also mentions the phenomenon of echoing or creating echo chambers, where the AI will configure its version of the truth to meet the expectations of the user, even if the user is wrong. They point out that this can lead to the reinforcement of prejudices and ignorance, which would have negative consequences for all users. The speaker concludes by emphasizing the importance of credible arguments and avoiding echo chambers in AI systems. (Abstract done in part by Mixtral 8x7b-instruct.)

Episode 11.61: AI-RIDE: AI Revolutionising Interest-Driven Education. Personalised learning with AI.

By leveraging the power of AI to tailor itself to the requirements of users we outline a revolution in education.

Episode 11.60: Who can tell whether something that looks random really is? Who will control AI?

More on whether noise is really noise, and whether an AI or another person or species might be able to see more in it than we can. And separately whether the power AI could confer on those who control it represents a serious existential threat.

Episode 11.59: Noising, denoising and directing the creation of and emergence from latent space.

Stable diffusion: the noising and denoising processes; latent space; text-prompts, embeddings and the common language they share with diffusion models. Illustrating diffusion with intermediate images that show the whole process from seeding image to final product.

Episode 11.58: The five pillars of education and the impact of AI if instruction is done home.

Information, Acculturation, Socialisation, Activation, Exploration: how the latter four hinge on the first; and what happens to them if and when the first no longer needs to be delivered through institutions that teach collectively.