AI in Education and Environment
This was an interesting article that dealt with more than AI’s impact on the environment. See included table for what other topics. For now, I found this the most compelling. ## Impact on Environment > AI is reliant on a chain of extractive processes that are resource-intensive and with deleterious planetary consequences. > In short, the growing use of AI technologies in education comes at considerable environmental cost – implicated in the depletion of scarce minerals and metals required to manufacture digital technologies, massive amounts of energy and water required to support data processing and storage, and fast-accumulating levels of toxic waste and pollution arising from the disposal of digital technology (see Brevini, 2021). > Given all the above, any enthusiasms for the increased use of AI in education must address the growing concerns among ecologically-concerned commentators that it might not be desirable (and perhaps even impossible) to justify the development and use of AI technologies in the medium to long-term. ([source](https://pedagogikkogkritikk.no/index.php/ntpk/article/view/6062/9573)) ## Overview of Roadblocks and Detours in Article An AI generated list: | Roadblocks | Detours | |------------|---------| | 1. AI cannot fully model the complexity of education | - Recognize AI’s limits in education
- Make AI adapt to schools, not vice versa | | 2. AI may cause harm to marginalized students | - Include educators and impacted groups in AI development
- Build AI to prevent discrimination | | 3. Adapting education to fit AI may lead to losses | - Keep human elements central in AI for education
- AI should support, not replace, traditional teaching | | 4. Data-heavy AI has ecological and environmental costs | - Pursue ‘green’ and sustainable AI
- Question if AI in education is worth the environmental impact | Key takeaways: - Slow down and rethink the AI and education discussion - Face AI’s complexities and risks head-on - Involve educators and affected communities - Put humans first, not technology - Think hard about AI’s long-term sustainability in education