Some Big AI Problems: The Eliza Effect and More

10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher

Yes, everyone is talking about AI. However, how do the concerns about AI apply to our classrooms today? Tom Mullaney talks about concerns with:

• The Eliza effect—where people attribute human characteristics such as trust and credibility to text-generating computers—can be dangerous when combined with the biases and inaccuracies inherent in large language models. It is vital for educators to understand this as we talk about AI with students.
• There are concerns about using AI as "guest speakers" even for something seemingly "harmless" like "the water cycle."
• Concerns with humanizing AI.
• Discussing the "On the Dangers of Stochastic Parrots" paper by Dr. Emily M. Bender et all which discusses the ethical issues and harms of large language models, including bias and environmental racism.
• Debunking the myth that AI will have values and beliefs.
• Practical applications of AI in the classroom
• The challenges of citing generative AI in the classroom.
• Why it is vital to teach about AI's ethical implications and encourage critical thinking with the use of AI in the classroom.
• Why educators should stay informed about AI so they can guide students to effectively and responsibly use the AI that is becoming embedded in their technology.

Sponsor: Juicemind - https://www.juicemind.com/

As I taught coding this year in AP Computer Science Principles, I found JuiceMind so useful. Not only do they have the team coding tools we educators need (since Replit was discontinued) but they have Kahoot-like games where students can write code as part of the quizzing process. Juicemind also works with many math courses. I love their tools for studying in my coding classes and highly recommend Juicemind.

Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored podcast episode.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."