Back to school with AI: How parents and educators can ensure its ethical use in the classroom
SmartNews' Arjun Narayan shared tips on responsible AI interaction at school: 'Watch for inaccuracies'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The presence of advanced technology in the classroom may require conversations with students during this new school year.
As artificial intelligence finds its way into more families' day-to-day routines, parents and teachers alike should be wary of how their kids are interacting with generative AI.
This is according to SmartNews' head of trust and safety Arjun Narayan, who shared concerns during an interview with Fox News Digital.
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"As with any new technology, when it is very new, it's important to understand how you're engaging with that tech," said Narayan, who is based in Japan.
As the father of a 7-year-old, Narayan revealed how kids can engage with generative AI, such as ChatGPT and other tools, to elicit text responses and visual assets.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A young boy communicates with a robot that is on display at Incheon International Airport in Seoul, South Korea. (Jonas Gratzer/LightRocket via Getty Images)
And when it comes to learning, he encouraged parents and educators to make sure students are not leaning solely on information from chatbots.
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"It's important for parents to know that, as with everything else, information that's coming out might not necessarily be accurate," he said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"There are ways this technology could accelerate research and discovery … and uplift our lives."
Ensure the information is coming from a variety of sources, he added.
"You don't want generative AI as the only input for information … You don't want [kids] learning old, dated or inaccurate information."
Narayan warned parents to "watch out for inaccuracies" when students use tools such as ChatGPT to obtain information. (Stanislav Kogiku/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Parents should monitor time spent interacting with generative AI, Narayan also said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"You want your kids to engage with human beings," he said. "You want your kids to talk to people, to talk to their friends."
Concerned about cyberbullying
The AI expert also brought up a concern about cyberbullying via AI, now that image generation software like DALL-E 2 and Midjourney can create fake yet realistic-looking images with a simple prompt.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Previously, people have used the internet as a way to destroy the confidence of other kids," Narayan said. "There are so many ways this technology could be misused."
He added, "There are lots of image generators today, using generative AI, which absolutely have no filters … and could go overboard."
An AI expert mentioned a concern about cyberbullying via AI, now that image generation software like DALL-E 2 and Midjourney can create fake yet realistic-looking images with a simple prompt. (Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Because "guardrails" for modern AI aren’t always present, Narayan said it’s up to parents, guardians, educators and other role models to ensure that their kids are using today’s tech wisely and respectfully.
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As kids experiment and discover technology in new ways, Narayan warned they could potentially "create any sort of fabricated image that could damage other kids’ confidence."
He added, "They could fabricate someone in situations that could be extremely negative or have downstream implications."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Protecting creativity in the AI age
While cyberbullying is a "dark-use case" of generative AI, Narayan predicted that students will begin to lean on platforms like ChatGPT to complete homework and school projects.
While he said he believes this isn't always a bad thing, Narayan also said it does run the risk of stunting creativity and impairing "personal discovery" in kids.
Using generative AI is "tempting," but it is also "killing our own creativity," Narayan said. (iStock)
"It’s important to think of technology as a tool to help you grow, but it shouldn't curb your growth," he said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It’s a joint responsibility" between parents and schools, he went on, "to make sure you're supervising how your kid is using AI, even if it's for schoolwork."
Using generative AI to complete school tasks can be tempting not only for students, but also for parents and teachers, Narayan pointed out.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He said busy parents shouldn’t resort to generative AI to help their kids complete challenging homework assignments.
While this technology can be "cool and fast," he said he is concerned that "it's also killing our own creativity."
Teaching AI ethics is a "joint responsibility" between schools and parents, said one expert to Fox News Digital. (iStock)
So far, schools and universities have taken an "over-cautionary approach" to AI, he said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"When cars were first invented, one accident did not mean you banned the cars," he said. "You improved the roads."
"Make sure the information is vetted, checked and accurate … Use the usual caution."
Along those same lines, Narayan said avoiding tech is not the right solution to the challenges it poses.
The expert said he considers AI an "incredible tool" for educators to scale their workload and improve lesson planning, without driving 100% of all teachable content.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In the presence of AI, parents and teachers should prompt kids with the question, "What makes us human?" said Narayan. (iStock)
"There are lots of ways schools could use this tech, but I would just advocate … to use the usual caution," he said.
"Make sure the information is vetted, checked and accurate."
Asking the right questions
Narayan emphasized the need for parents and educators to teach their kids how to ask the "right questions" when it comes to generative AI.
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"This is not just from an ethical point of view, but this is also the best way to make use of generative AI," he said. "The answers you get are only as good as the prompts you put in."
When using any sort of AI tool, learning how to refine a query will generate the best outcomes, which also includes optimizing the types of questions and data being inputted, Narayan said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Don’t ask questions you would be embarrassed to ask your parents," he said.
A child holds the hand of a Leju Robotics Co. humanoid robot at the World AI Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China, on Friday, July 7, 2023. (Qilai Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Parents must also teach their kids not to input sensitive information like addresses, financial information or other personal data.
Since many AI platforms don't have filters, Narayan encouraged parents to teach their kids to report any inappropriate engagements.
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"We all have a collective responsibility to improve the guardrails and the responses," he said.
Despite the unavoidable hiccups of early AI, Narayan called the technology itself "fantastic" — and encouraged the public to embrace it.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Future of tech and humanity
For many young children, Narayan believes that artificial intelligence will become a core part of their futures, including the job opportunities that will be available years down the road.
"I think in 10-15 years, there will be so much automation and so much generative AI doing the non-cognitive work, as I call it, because I don't think machines are going to be as conscious or sentient as humans," he said.
Ethics for tech are the same as they are for humanity, according to Narayan. (BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
"But the idea is that a lot of the repetitive downstream work will likely get automated."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}It's important to continue the conversation around ethics in tech, Narayan said, not only for how people use the technology, but also in how the AI itself is developed.
"Ethics are not necessarily any different for tech as they are for humanity," he said. "What should the guardrails look like? How do you protect privacy?"
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He stressed the importance of teaching kids the concepts of respecting other people's privacy and the right to free speech.
SmartNews' head of trust and safety Arjun Narayan predicts that generative AI will take over "non-cognitive work" in future job markets. (SmartNews)
Once kids are comfortable with the new wave of tech, Narayan suggested it can be "extremely uplifting."
"Please be open-minded," he urged parents. "There are ways this technology could accelerate research and discovery … and uplift our lives."
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Developing this technology will take creative, human minds, Narayan said, and he is optimistic the next generation will advance this innovation.
Just as adults should aim to keep their kids creative around the presence of AI, Narayan also mentioned the importance of staying grounded in social interactions and honoring culture and heritage.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I hope we don’t lose that," he said.
Just as adults should aim to keep their kids creative around the presence of AI, Narayan also mentioned the importance of staying grounded in social interactions and honoring culture and heritage. (iStock)
"The whole concept of society and culture comes from the social aspect of us being humans," he said.
"I hope we don't get to a place where we are so dependent on technology that we start devolving instead of evolving," he also said.
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"Maybe the next generation of humans will be very different in terms of their skills than we are," Narayan said.
"But it's important to preserve certain things that make us who we are."