Is Chat GTP replacing the need for learning? Faculty President Kendall Harnett weighs in on the discourse around Artificial Intelligence. 

Once a thing of science fiction, artificial intelligence has arrived, but it’s being used far differently than we may have once imagined. While some worry that this technology will lead society into a dystopian downfall similar to Westworld or The Matrix, others praise its ability to simplify tasks, complete complex calculations, and generate writing and imagery. The topic has become increasingly divided in every occupation over the past year, especially since the launch of Chat GTP back in November. Students at SMCC are no strangers to educator’s concerns regarding the use A.I in the classroom.

An upcoming course at SMCC is one of thousands being implemented in schools across the country as educators wrestle with their latest foe: artificial intelligence.  The course is set to examine how Chat GTP can be used to both enhance and inhibit a student’s learning experience.   

Kendall, Harnett long-time professor and faculty president of SMCC teaches several classes in another industry where AI has become increasingly controversial: media. Curious to hear his opinions on the topic, I called and asked some questions. 

Q: Where do you stand on A.I. as an educator?

A: On the one hand, I want to embrace technology. I had been using some form of AI in my work already. For example, if you want to get rid of a flare or a stop sign, or you want to dull the stop sign, we had tools that did that before now. Part of me is like ‘Yeah, we need to embrace any kind of technological change because we don’t really have a choice.’ You can’t put it back in the bottle. 

There’s a negative side to it though. You know, with Photoshop you used to be able to do a couple of clicks and get rid of something. Now you can do a couple of clicks and create something. There’s a challenge to what that’s going to do to limit artists moving forward. It makes it difficult to learn the steps of being creative.

Q: Is your opinion different as a professional?

A: I have really mixed emotions about it. I do photo restoration, so I get these old photos that are super scratched up I end up generating what’s missing in those spaces. Sometimes it’s automated and sometimes I’m cutting and pasting. Ultimately I want tools that will help me achieve that more quickly if I can. The negative side of that is that all of a sudden you start losing artists, you start losing graphic designers. So that side of it kind of makes me nervous. 

Q: If A.I. is able to do all this, is it even worth it for people to learn those basic steps?

A: Of course. It’s not just in the creative field, it’s in responding to emails, and catering to your shopping experience on Amazon, I mean this is all A.I.-creating these algorithms. In the creative field, again, we can’t act like it doesn’t exist. I think we have to stress the importance of learning fundamental design principles and understanding that before you just start pressing a button to get something creative. As a creator, I don’t want to see all that disappear. “

Q: Do you see the further development of A.I. leading to a bigger problem? 

A: I have a really dystopic mind at times and I go to dark places… the flip side is that there are big advantages. We still need to learn to tell stories. I hope that there is a real positive. Every time we see a huge technological shift people panic and then they find the great it in it and it allows us to grow- so that’s the optimistic side of me. There is absolutely a cynical dystopic side of me that is like ‘Oh dear god we’re taking everything out of our hands, out of our control.’ The bottom line is that we probably don’t have as much control as we think we do anyway. 

It looks like A.I. won’t be going away anytime soon. Quite the opposite in fact- it seems like A.I. will only become more widely used, in a range of industries and professions. As the next generation of students heads into the workforce, it will be important for them to be aware of the pros and cons of A.I., and make  sure that they stay ahead of the curve. 

Interested in learning more about the school’s policies on A.I.? The five module course is available on Brightspace for all faculty and students.