Raw LLM Responses

This reminds me of the old 'we should teach math basics' versus 'let the kids use calculators' debates. There were always recommendations at the extremes - 'no calculators allowed' or 'just use calculators only' - but it doesn't take deep thought to see the right answer is (as it almost always is) somewhere in the middle: teach the math basics, make sure kids understand and can use the basics on simple problems, then let them use calculators as an aid for tedious calculations for really involved problems. Not knowing the basics of math is crippling (you won't even know if your answer is in the right ballpark; you won't be able to think through problems involving several steps, etc.). Not being able to use a calculator is also limiting (you won't be able to work on real problems the involve intensive calculations). AI usage seems like the next step in the debate. 'Don't use AI' and you're throwing away an incredibly powerful tool; 'Just use AI' (i.e, cheat) and you won't have the ability to ask the right questions or even know if your answers are right. Regarding the 'cheating' option, suppose you put all the cheaters into a pool of potential employees - would you want to hire one of them? - would it make any difference which one you hired? - do you think they would know how to ask the pertinent questions of AI to solve real problems? As a (retired) mathematician, I know that being able to ask the right question plays a huge role in being able to solve a problem, or not. Calculators and software abound, but they are limited by the ability of the user. The more you know about a field of study, the better you can use software tools to enhance your problem-solving results. If I were a student today, I would be doing everything possible to legitimately learn everything I could. That would immediately distinguish me from the aforementioned pool of 'cheaters' who wouldn't be able to guide AI tools by asking probing questions based on the intricacies of a subject (eg. if you don't understand biology basics, how could you begin to ask the right questions involved in the geometric shape of molecules needed in pharmaceutical research?). As far as AI in college goes, things will necessarily have to change, but for the better. The basics of subject will still be important and crucial to understand, but instead of 'only' applying that to simpler problems, the scope of projects involving the solution of unanswered questions or real world applications will be blown wide open. No more questions like 'what's this going to be good for?' or 'when will I ever use this?' AI-assisted projects, guided by a student's knowledge of a field, could easily turn out to be world-changing and career-making, and at worst, fascinating. I won't get into the question of the potential jobs losses due to AI - I've already rambled on a bit too much. But it seems to me that qualifies as yet another an 'unanswered question' that is begging to be tackled by an educated student with an AI assistant.