AI and children's education

introduction

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an emerging technical science that studies and develops theories, methods, technologies and application systems for simulating, extending and extending human intelligence. The history of AI dates back to 1956, when it was first proposed by John McCarthy and defined as "the science and engineering of making intelligent machines." Since then, AI technology has made great progress and breakthroughs in various fields, such as speech recognition, image recognition, natural language processing, expert systems, robots, autonomous driving, etc.

Education is an important part of human society, which is related to human knowledge inheritance, cultural development and social progress. The application and value of AI technology in the field of education have also received more and more attention and attention. AI can help teachers improve teaching efficiency and quality, help students achieve personalized and autonomous learning, and help education administrators optimize educational resources and services. AI can also promote equity and inclusion in education, allowing more people to enjoy quality educational opportunities and resources324.

However, the application of AI in education also faces some challenges and problems, such as data security, ethics, and social responsibility. Some people even regard AI as harmful to children's education, believing that AI will deprive children of creativity, imagination and critical thinking, replace or marginalize the role of teachers, and cause children's dependence and loneliness. Are there sufficient grounds and evidence for these concerns and objections? Should we resist or fear the use of AI in education?

This article will explore this issue from the following aspects:

• AI: The development history and current situation of artificial intelligence
• Analysis of concerns and arguments against AI in education
• Using calculators as an example to prove that concerns against AI are inadequate
• The analogy illustrates the role of AI in education
• conclusion

AI: The development history and current situation of artificial intelligence

AI technology has gone through several stages since its birth, each with different characteristics and achievements.

• Phase I (1956-1974): The period of enlightenment. This stage is marked by McCarthy's proposal of the concept of AI, mainly the exploration of the basic theories and methods of AI, such as logical reasoning, search algorithms, knowledge representation, etc. At this stage, some classical AI systems emerged, such as Logic Theorist, General Problem Solver, ELIZA, and so on.
• Phase II (1974-1980): Low tide. This phase is marked by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) cutting AI research funding, mainly due to the limitations and difficulties of AI technology, such as common sense problems, knowledge acquisition problems, computing power problems, etc. AT THIS STAGE, SOME DOMAIN-SPECIFIC EXPERT SYSTEMS EMERGED, SUCH AS MYCIN, DENDRAL, ETC.
• Phase III (1980-1987): A period of revival. This phase was marked by the proposal of the fifth-generation computer plan in Japan, mainly due to the commercial success of expert systems and the emergence of new technologies, such as neural networks, genetic algorithms, fuzzy logic, etc. At this stage, some innovative and influential AI systems emerged, such as R1/XCON, CYC, SOAR, etc.
• Stage IV (1987-1993): Low tide again. This stage is marked by the failure of Japan's fifth-generation computer program, mainly due to the limitations of expert systems and the immaturity of new technologies, such as knowledge engineering bottlenecks, neural network training problems, and theoretical defects of fuzzy logic. AT THIS STAGE, THERE ARE SOME HYBRID INTELLIGENCE SYSTEMS THAT TRY TO INTEGRATE DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGIES, SUCH AS CLARION, COG, ETC.
• The fifth phase (1993-present): a period of vigorous development. This stage is marked by the popularization of the Internet and the rise of big data, mainly due to the improvement of computing power and the increase in data volume, as well as the development of new methods such as machine learning and deep learning, which has made breakthroughs and applications of AI technology in various fields. At this stage, some AI systems with wide impact and value emerged, such as AlphaGo, Watson, Siri, Alexa, etc.

At present, AI technology has penetrated into all aspects of our lives and work, such as search engines, social media, e-commerce, smart homes, healthcare, financial services, security defense, etc. AI technologies are also constantly innovating and evolving, such as reinforcement learning, transfer learning, and generative adversarial networks. AI technology also has a wide range of applications and values in the field of education, which we will analyze in detail below.

Analysis of concerns and arguments against AI in education

Although AI has great potential and promise in education, there are some people who are skeptical or opposed to it, believing that AI will have a negative impact on children's education. Their main reasons for concern and opposition are as follows:

• AI deprives children of creativity, imagination, and critical thinking. Some people think that AI will make children passive and dependent, losing the ability and interest to explore and discover the world on their own. They believe that AI will provide children with standardized and mechanized answers and solutions, rather than encouraging children to think and create on their own.
• Explain that the calculator does not actually impair the child's math ability. After years of research and practice, there is enough evidence to show that calculators do not diminish children's mathematical ability, but can improve their math performance and interest. For example, a large-scale study of elementary and middle school students in the United States found that students who used calculators performed better on math tests than those who did not. Another study of primary school students in the UK also found that using calculators can improve students' abilities in numerical arithmetic, problem solving, reasoning and more. In addition, there are studies that show that the use of calculators can increase students' confidence and attitude towards mathematics, stimulating their interest and curiosity in mathematics.
• Emphasize the importance of calculators increasing efficiency and interest. Using a calculator does not mean giving up or neglecting basic arithmetic skills, but it means devoting more time and energy to higher-level and more meaningful mathematical activities. Using a calculator allows students to complete complex or lengthy calculations faster, saving time and avoiding mistakes. In this way, students can focus more on understanding mathematical concepts, exploring mathematical laws, solving practical problems, etc., thereby improving their thinking skills and creativity. At the same time, the use of calculators can also make it easier for students to be exposed to broader and deeper mathematical content, such as fractions, decimals, percentages, algebra, geometry, etc., thereby expanding their mathematical horizons and interests.

Using calculators as an example to prove that concerns against AI are inadequate

To illustrate that concerns against the use of AI in education are inadequate, we can use the analogy of calculators as an example. The calculator is an electronic device capable of performing mathematical operations, and its invention and popularization have caused similar controversy and doubts.

• Doubts and objections when calculators were invented. Calculators first appeared in the 60s of the 20th century, when it was seen as an expensive and rare luxury item that was only available to a few professionals. As technology advanced and prices fell, calculators gradually found their way into schools and homes as a common teaching and learning tool. However, this has also raised concerns and objections from some teachers, parents and scholars, who believe that calculators will make students lose basic arithmetic skills, reduce students' mathematical level and interest, and affect students' thinking ability and creativity1.
• Explain that the calculator does not actually impair the child's math ability. After years of research and practice, there is enough evidence to show that calculators do not diminish children's mathematical ability, but can improve their math performance and interest. For example, a large-scale study of elementary and middle school students in the United States found that students who used calculators performed better on math tests than those who did not. Another study of primary school students in the UK also found that using calculators can improve students' abilities in numerical arithmetic, problem solving, reasoning and more. In addition, there are studies that show that the use of calculators can increase students' confidence and attitude towards mathematics, stimulating their interest and curiosity in mathematics.
• Emphasize the importance of calculators increasing efficiency and interest. Using a calculator does not mean giving up or neglecting basic arithmetic skills, but it means devoting more time and energy to higher-level and more meaningful mathematical activities. Using a calculator allows students to complete complex or lengthy calculations faster, saving time and avoiding mistakes. In this way, students can focus more on understanding mathematical concepts, exploring mathematical laws, solving practical problems, etc., thereby improving their thinking skills and creativity. At the same time, the use of calculators can also make it easier for students to be exposed to broader and deeper mathematical content, such as fractions, decimals, percentages, algebra, geometry, etc., thereby expanding their mathematical horizons and interests.

To sum up, we can see that the calculator does not have a negative impact on children's education, but has a positive impact on children's education. Similarly, we can illustrate the role of AI in education by analogy.

conclusion

In this article, we use calculators as an example to demonstrate that concerns against the use of AI in education are inadequate. We point out that calculators do not have a negative impact on children's education, but have a positive impact on children's education. Similarly, we can illustrate the role of AI in education by analogy.

• AI is a sign of human social progress. AI technology is the core technology of the fourth industrial revolution, which is gradually shaping new business forms in the fields of society, economy and life, and constantly bringing subversive, rich and innovative new formats. The application of AI technology in the field of education can not only improve teaching efficiency and students' learning outcomes, but also personalize education and optimize teaching resources, which has broad application prospects.
• We should put the potential of AI in perspective. The application of AI technology in the field of education requires us to actively promote the application of AI technology in the field of education under the premise of ensuring data security and abiding by ethical norms, so as to provide students with more high-quality and personalized education services. At the same time, we also need to reform the education system and teacher training to adapt to the needs of the AI era.
• Instead of resisting or fearing AI, we should actively embrace and promote education. AI technology is not meant to replace or ignore the role of humans, but to work collaboratively with humans to unleash human creativity and vitality. We should grasp the opportunities and challenges brought by AI technology, export innovative talents to all fields of society through education, support the transformation and upgrading of all fields of society and the innovation and development of artificial intelligence and other high-tech technologies, and inject sustained vitality and energy into the strategy of strengthening the country.

In short, the application of AI technology in the field of education is very promising, and we need to accept and use it with an open and inclusive attitude, so that it can become a powerful help to promote educational reform and innovation and social development progress.