We are on the cusp of a revolution in artificial intelligence. Or are we already in the throes of it? Will it transform the way we work in schools? Or have the predictions been overblown?
Dan Sodergren is an AI and technology futurist and a keynote speaker on the future of work, and says we need to update our ways of speaking about AI to ensure we are making sense.
“When we say ‘AI’, it’s a bit like saying ‘computers’ - it’s just too big a term. So you should always think. ‘What AI? Which AI are we talking about?’”
And the reason for that, he continues, is that AIs are “a bit like people”, in the sense that each has its own unique character.
“I say this and people are a little bit shocked, but it’s the truth of the matter,” Sodergren continues. “AI is much more like having an intern or someone you can train, and each is better at different things. So there are some AI models that are brilliant at coding, and then there are others that are fantastic at using words.
“And it’s that bit, especially around education, that we’ve got to start getting better at knowing, because we can then teach it to the next generation. As teachers, that’s hugely important.”
How intelligent is artificial intelligence?
Right now, Sodergren says, there are 84 different large language models you can use with AI, and each model is trained in a different dataset, so they are like different people.
But just how intelligent are those models?
“It’s higher than we thought it was going to be,” Sodergren says. “And that’s from someone who does keynotes and is a tech futurist. Even for me, it’s higher than I thought it was going to be.”
In the latest episode of the Leading and Learning webinar, part of the Tes Magazine Leadership Forum, host Paul Spiers explores what else school staff should understand about AI, and the importance of nurturing curiosity and creativity around it.
