Regulars will have noted that TuS has been making increased use of AI in the last year or so and getting some criticism of that.
I understand why many are concerned but my view is that this is another technology, like those before, we must master, a ‘tiger we must ride.’ Famous last words perhaps but we humans didn’t get where we are, on top because we are the meanest SOBs on the planet, just to let our own technology replace us.
If we, crucially, educate or young to use it carefully, it can massively enhance their lives but when they lack experience of life, we must structure learning around it.
That’s just what Professor Walter Isaacson thinks.
“Some history professors try to stop their students using artificial intelligence for their projects – I require my students to use two or three different AI models, and show how they’ve used AI every step of the way.”
For Walter Isaacson, one of America’s most celebrated historians and biographers known for his acclaimed profiles of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and Tesla tycoon Elon Musk, attempting to block the use of the now-ubiquitous technology is not just futile but a wasted opportunity to educate students.
“All technology tools are a wonderful arrow in the quiver of the historian – and the professor teaching history,” explained Isaacson, who has moved effortlessly from a stellar journalistic career (editor of Time magazine, chairman and CEO of CNN) into writing award-winning biographies and history books, and is now professor of history at Tulane University in his home town of New Orleans.
To that effect, Isaacson is adamant the writing process cannot be outsourced, even if AI can provide useful research or analytical tools, or creative starting points. “I make sure they [students] start with a blank screen but it’s fine if they use all sorts of tools to gather information. The final product must be entirely written by them,” he said.
Full article in Times Higher Education (not a paywall but you need to register, free) at: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/walter-isaacson-all-my-history-students-must-use-ai
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So far, I have seen no benefit, and the environmental costs are … huge is not a big enough word.
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Wikipedia has been around longer than AI, and shares problems over reliability. Both easily accessible, both useful starting points for research, both useful in providing further resources. Neither acceptable in a copy/paste essay. Surely historians, and pretty much all other areas of academia, prefer students to reach towards primary sources, and (at least) reference them?
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For me (not an academic) original source documents are most reliable but I suppose we also need to check out who wrote them and if they were peer reviewed and subsequently verified in further studies?
I use AI then cross reference if absolute certainty is required (for instance, so I don’t look stupid during an “animated discussion” on Scottish independence.
I’ve had many, many apologies from AI after pointing out errors or suggesting it has offered a point of view rather than inarguably factual information.
Still, I find AI handy so long as I maintain my critical thing skills and carry out regular gross error checks.
way more accurate than the BBC, unionist press or any number of unionist politicians and their disciples.
Let’s face it, we’ve been fed so much shit by history books and daily news bulletins, can AI really be any worse?
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Yes, it can be worse. It makes things up, for a start. Primary sources only!
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The above from John Lawson.
Clearly I work hard whilst researching but I can’t remember to add my name to my work 😀
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