A Grave New World: My Most Pessimistic Views on Ai
Every year at my school, the staff participates in a lottery. Not the Shirley Jackson variety, the other kind: the kind where everyone pitches in a few dollars and dreams a little. And, every year someone asks, "When we win big how long will you all continue teaching?" Most staff count off their scheduled years until retirement and do a little math. I'm a little different. I always reply, "I don't know how long I'd work, but I'd probably be back Monday morning." Do I teach to make a living and pay the bills? Certainly. But I teach for other reasons too. I teach because doing so brings me purpose; it's a potent antidote to my existential angst. When my colleagues and I aren't chatting about potential lottery winnings, we chat about anything and everything. Lately, we've been discussing the rise of artificial intelligence and its implications on education and every other aspect of society. Some worry a little; I worry a lot. The other day,...