AI over the next few years

The bit about child learning being taken over by AI I find most sinister.

Greater opportunities for vocational learning is great, but a totally separate issue.

We use copilot at work. For a recent task, I was asked to look at sector information about a particular aspect of work where the company has not done well thia year. Questions like where did we do wrong and how did others in our sector do, who is doing it better and how can we learn from that

I would not trust AI as a starting point for that but I collated data from a variety of sources, some free, some paid for and created spreadsheets that collatesd that into a reasonably easy to read format where you could see patterns. That in itself took a while bu it neded a good understanding of the different data available sector sources and which were most relevant for the questions we had

However pulling out the important patterns from thr collated sheet and summarising that into a coherent story for the relevant teams to use in planning next year would have taken me several days.. Copilot did it in minutes and I only needed half a day to check what ist had done that the numbers were correct and add any specific terms our company uses.

I told it use neutral descriptive language , UK spelling and to avoid too much highlighting and superlatives and adjectives and it came up with a pretty good output in a fraction of the additional time it would usually take me and I am.very experienced in this sport of data synthesis

This was a job where the idea of large data analysis was overkill as outlining the differences in the different data sources would have taken ages when I already know that. Collating it took me 1-2 days, summarising into key learnings for different audiences would have taken me 2-3 days . With AI the whole thing took me 3 days instead of 4- 5. Not quite the miracle everyone says but very useful nonetheless

You don't seem to be talking in 'small steps'. Might your reply be just a tad disingenuous and shallow, given the sweeping changes you are predicting?

I fully agree. We need to work "with" AI to improve our services, not fight against it. You can't swim against the tide. Over the years there've been loads of critics of teacher-generated "scrappy work-sheets" where teachers are constantly re-inventing the wheel to suit a new class etc., but that's something AI could be used for very easily, and that's just one minor thing. AI could be used to mark essays etc which are very time consuming.

I'm an accountant. I've been on loads of courses on AI over the past few years, and use AI extensively in my practice. Not to replace me. I do it to enhance "me". I can do more, both in terms of time and ability. There's work I do today that I couldn't have done five years ago. One of the many course lecturers hit the nail on the head when he told us to treat AI as "an enthusiastic trainee" - i.e. feel free to give it work to do, things to research, etc., but properly review what it produces in the same way you'd review the work of a trainee!

I know lots of people criticise it for lack of accuracy, mistakes, etc., but a lot of that is down to not giving it proper instructions/background, etc., i.e. being too vague. Again, just like having a new trainee, you need to give them clear instructions etc. AI is remarkably similar. It will go off on a tangent and give wrong answers if you're not 100% clear with it's instructions and terms of reference.

I think AI in schools and classrooms could be a game changer. But teachers need to be properly taught how to use it and we, finally, need some coherent national strategy, i.e. "banks" of materials so teachers aren't constantly re-inventing the wheel. AI could even be used to create that "bank" of materials.

Why stop with children? Why don't we tether an AI TA to every adult worker to train and monitor how they are doing all day too? Be really interesting to see how their psychology and mental health develops as an experiment. To see how their independence and individuality flourishes when every move and every thought is monitored, assessed, guided and assumed to fit with pre-determined metrics so it fits into a well designed dash board.

Although if you extrapolate out the model, really... why bother to educate much at all, when AI can do it all? Expensive and no ROI to educate humans to their full potential when no trainee work to go to / what work there is retires at 40.

And they pay for the ai resource. ATM we have some staff using the Fred version and the ones that pay producing amazing things.

Free version.

I so hope it is as you believe. The advances in healthcare and medicine, those I would absolutely prioritise - yes, can see it and champion it.

Energy... It sucks up so much and I'm just not convinced it is going to produce enough efficiencies, enough new amazing science to compensate, but never say never.

UBI is a lively idea, it is just so expensive and who pays? Early retirement, a lovely idea - who pays? The economic titans of the world don't even pay the amount of tax they truly should. Who or what is going to change this as they amass more and more power?

This is already happening in our Trust. It’s not going well………. They’ve had to start recruiting back all the secretaries they layed off last year.

OP I've got to page 5 - I can't read anymore. You are incredibly naive to the point I'm not sure you're even real.

I’m on maternity leave currently. I saw in the news this week a consultation period has begun in our trust so I checked my work emails. I was emailed two weeks ago and have missed several meetings already. I contacted HR and the union on Friday and was given a massive apology and assured that the contact leading the consultation period would contact me as my circumstances are different!

From my one post on this thread you have concluded that I believe ChatGPT is the extent of AI and that I know nothing more on the subject. Okay...
Respectfully, you have no idea who I am or what I may or may not know on the matter of AI.
For clarity I understand it's advancing and is more than just ChatGPT.