Yeah, AI is pretty scary for sure…. But did you happen to notice how on Sunday afternoons and evenings on The Camino… how few cell phones were being used? It was one of my favorite things… Sunday afternoons in the local square. Families, adults, children, and their dogs would commune together. The kids were running around with soccer balls instead of cell phones. There was laughter in the air as people enjoyed their shared life. I’m a few days away from being home again… and I worry about my re-entry. 🙏👣
Well, I love you Sean and I am not an AI, I’m a 78 year old human being. The world has become reality Sci-Fi. Big Brother has been watching for years. We have robotic everything including surgery probably. Kids can’t tell time from a clock, can’t make change at a cash register, can’t read or write cursive, text each other at the dinner table and don’t know how to interact with each other. How are they going to run this country, especially on the world stage?
There has been robotic assisted surgery since the late 90's. I'm an OR nurse, and we tested several robot assisted devices over those years. They are being used for specific applications these days. Not to scare you or anything....
Not to start an argument but the surgeon was at fault. The robot can’t to anything that the surgeon does not control. They operate the robot instruments via a controller.
Maybe the robot is only as good as the doctor?? Which gives me pause, AI is only as "good" as the person writing the program (code). Which also raises the question..... are we a moral-enough people to program AI??!!?? Many are, I'm sure, but I'm guessing many are nefarious actors. Scary, indeed.
Teachers in my grandkid's schools are complaining that the attention span of children are getting shorter and shorter every year. The kids are so used to the fast pace of social media that they find real-life interactions boring. Teachers have to break down their teaching subjects into shorter increments so the kids keep listening. It's scary.
I substitute teach in a small-town grade school, where their overall program is solidly strong, and conducive to learning. Unlike the nearby “big cities” where parents no longer care, and teachers have given up (think jungles in war zones). That’s not to say that we don’t have problems, including shorter attentions spans…it wouldn’t be real otherwise.
This past year, in 4th grade math, I tried an experiment. I unplugged my computer/video and my kiddos turned off their “chrome books.” Then I referred to my teaching manual and proceeded to actually TEACH the lesson, using the Expo dry-erase board for illustrations. I kept everyone engaged with me (“one, two, three; eyes on me”), and each other (it was ok to help your neighbor if needed). At the end, I asked for their input. Unanimously, they all agreed…we LOVED it!!
At the end of the day, I asked a veteran teacher for her opinion, and she answered “I ALWAYS turn off the video lessons whenever possible, and teach from the board, because it keeps the kids engaged, and therefore EDUCATED!”
As a recently retired teacher of 40 years, this is all too true. Where is the slow paced calming voice of Mr. Rogers that could mesmerize kids for an entire 30 minutes?
Keeping kids into learning was definitely a challenge when I taught. I was thankful to have a teeny bit of creative thinking to help kids enjoy learning. Nothing is worse than to see bored kids as you are trying to teach. Hands on learning and involvement were musts for me.
I taught for 40 yrs. I tried hard to engage them with enthusiasm and by not being robotic or just going by the book. Asking open ended questions that required thought. It was a great job.
I'm glad I was educated by teachers like Miss Valera McInnis who taught in long increments, and now in my longevity of LIFE , I still love to learn using my own intelligence!
This reminds me of when I was a child at my grandmother’s house with no one to play. Not having technology to fill in I created imaginary friends to have tea parties. My conversation usually brought my grandmother into the room asking, “Who are you talking to?” Most children want to be engaged with others. This story is an eye opener…..my grandchildren are very much into their technology worlds. That’s why I carry a pack of playing cards in my purse. They enjoy the competition and I enjoy their laughter and conversation. In my company, I will not let electronic games take over my joy!
“ She won’t talk, won’t eat, won’t do anything. It’s like her best friend has died.”
So Parent, step up to your responsibilities. Hunger is a strong motivator to get things moving in the right direction.
When my son’s wife left him and he felt at sea about being a single parent, I advised him to “Be friendly but firm.” He told me that got him through some tough times.
If you know too much time spent with electronics is wrecking your kid, you know what the answer is. Set your rules and stand by them. Friendly but firm.
There is even an AI "therapy" interface where people who can't afford traditional therapy can chat for hours with a robot... I actually know someone who did this. What could possibly go wrong, especially in light of the article I referenced?
"Brave New World" saw us all hooked on Soma, and I am thinking that today, Soma is just another word for Artificial Intelligence instead of natural intelligence. I'll stick with the latter, thank you very much.
If we'll just remember the word "artificial." It's not truth, It's not human, It's not real. Thanks for making us aware of the danger, especially with the small kids and other vulnerable people.
I keep saying it: AI is nothing more than a really smart interactive encyclopedia and limited by who and what slant the programmer had. It's not alive. It will never be alive. It will never give you 100% accuracy (because of the numbskull who programmed it).
I'm 72. My eight year old grandsons just visited for several days (I see them maybe twice a year because their parents have important jobs in another state and soon somewhere out of the country.) I think parents (and teachers) today need to be more creative than I was, or mine were, in order to compete with all of the electronic toys, AI, TV videos, etc. And yes, limits need to be set. But just as humans mostly survived automobiles, aircraft, and microwaves, just as we survived television, superglue, rock music, vel-cro, and computers with world wide web and that weird cloud, I think we'll figure it out. (Sean could tell the difference between his and the AI generated text, so do/will we.) Life will look different, but we'll still be the fumbling, bumbling hopeful creatures we've always aspired to be.
Us old folks have been saying we have to monitor all the computerized stuff young kids are given but it is not happening to the degree it should. Many children prefer their screens to human interaction and this really is scary!! Thanks Sean for trying to bring to light this soon to be (if not already) major crisis!!
Add to this the fact that an MIT study found that AI can reduce critical thinking skills, especially in younger people, and it looks indeed like danger coming down the road.
At Last!! I have been thinking and sometimes, saying for a while, that A I is evil. Yes, I know it can be helpful and figure out the "card stuff" quickly for us. But that only makes us less inclined to use our God given brains! Also, I dont remember what program I was watching a few yrs ago. but, it was prophesied that in the. end times, there would be an A I figure pretending to be Christ that would fool many people . I have had a morbid creepy feeling about A I since then and want nothing to do with even the forerunner of it. I believe it's a demonic system .
Yeah, AI is pretty scary for sure…. But did you happen to notice how on Sunday afternoons and evenings on The Camino… how few cell phones were being used? It was one of my favorite things… Sunday afternoons in the local square. Families, adults, children, and their dogs would commune together. The kids were running around with soccer balls instead of cell phones. There was laughter in the air as people enjoyed their shared life. I’m a few days away from being home again… and I worry about my re-entry. 🙏👣
Well, I love you Sean and I am not an AI, I’m a 78 year old human being. The world has become reality Sci-Fi. Big Brother has been watching for years. We have robotic everything including surgery probably. Kids can’t tell time from a clock, can’t make change at a cash register, can’t read or write cursive, text each other at the dinner table and don’t know how to interact with each other. How are they going to run this country, especially on the world stage?
Not to worry, we will all be gone by then. Have you watched the show Terminator?
Keep the children away from iPads and phones and teach them about Jesus and all will be well.
There has been robotic assisted surgery since the late 90's. I'm an OR nurse, and we tested several robot assisted devices over those years. They are being used for specific applications these days. Not to scare you or anything....
And I have two friends that had robot assisted surgeries and one died and the other almost did. Both got a nicked artery by the robot.
Not to start an argument but the surgeon was at fault. The robot can’t to anything that the surgeon does not control. They operate the robot instruments via a controller.
Maybe the robot is only as good as the doctor?? Which gives me pause, AI is only as "good" as the person writing the program (code). Which also raises the question..... are we a moral-enough people to program AI??!!?? Many are, I'm sure, but I'm guessing many are nefarious actors. Scary, indeed.
Teachers in my grandkid's schools are complaining that the attention span of children are getting shorter and shorter every year. The kids are so used to the fast pace of social media that they find real-life interactions boring. Teachers have to break down their teaching subjects into shorter increments so the kids keep listening. It's scary.
I substitute teach in a small-town grade school, where their overall program is solidly strong, and conducive to learning. Unlike the nearby “big cities” where parents no longer care, and teachers have given up (think jungles in war zones). That’s not to say that we don’t have problems, including shorter attentions spans…it wouldn’t be real otherwise.
This past year, in 4th grade math, I tried an experiment. I unplugged my computer/video and my kiddos turned off their “chrome books.” Then I referred to my teaching manual and proceeded to actually TEACH the lesson, using the Expo dry-erase board for illustrations. I kept everyone engaged with me (“one, two, three; eyes on me”), and each other (it was ok to help your neighbor if needed). At the end, I asked for their input. Unanimously, they all agreed…we LOVED it!!
At the end of the day, I asked a veteran teacher for her opinion, and she answered “I ALWAYS turn off the video lessons whenever possible, and teach from the board, because it keeps the kids engaged, and therefore EDUCATED!”
Yea!!!!!
That’s my kind of teaching!!!
As a recently retired teacher of 40 years, this is all too true. Where is the slow paced calming voice of Mr. Rogers that could mesmerize kids for an entire 30 minutes?
Keeping kids into learning was definitely a challenge when I taught. I was thankful to have a teeny bit of creative thinking to help kids enjoy learning. Nothing is worse than to see bored kids as you are trying to teach. Hands on learning and involvement were musts for me.
I taught for 40 yrs. I tried hard to engage them with enthusiasm and by not being robotic or just going by the book. Asking open ended questions that required thought. It was a great job.
I'm glad I was educated by teachers like Miss Valera McInnis who taught in long increments, and now in my longevity of LIFE , I still love to learn using my own intelligence!
Scares the living daylights out of me when I don’t know what is real or fake !!!
This reminds me of when I was a child at my grandmother’s house with no one to play. Not having technology to fill in I created imaginary friends to have tea parties. My conversation usually brought my grandmother into the room asking, “Who are you talking to?” Most children want to be engaged with others. This story is an eye opener…..my grandchildren are very much into their technology worlds. That’s why I carry a pack of playing cards in my purse. They enjoy the competition and I enjoy their laughter and conversation. In my company, I will not let electronic games take over my joy!
We need "incarnation", not "automation". We need love with skin on. God knew that a long time ago, when God gave us Jesus.
“ She won’t talk, won’t eat, won’t do anything. It’s like her best friend has died.”
So Parent, step up to your responsibilities. Hunger is a strong motivator to get things moving in the right direction.
When my son’s wife left him and he felt at sea about being a single parent, I advised him to “Be friendly but firm.” He told me that got him through some tough times.
If you know too much time spent with electronics is wrecking your kid, you know what the answer is. Set your rules and stand by them. Friendly but firm.
Absolutely! Stepping back and wringing your hands accomplishes nothing. Take charge. You see the problem. You're the adult!
Just yesterday I read this article about the harmful effects of AI when people interact with it for long periods of time: https://alexberenson.substack.com/p/the-newest-artificial-intelligence
There is even an AI "therapy" interface where people who can't afford traditional therapy can chat for hours with a robot... I actually know someone who did this. What could possibly go wrong, especially in light of the article I referenced?
"Brave New World" saw us all hooked on Soma, and I am thinking that today, Soma is just another word for Artificial Intelligence instead of natural intelligence. I'll stick with the latter, thank you very much.
If we'll just remember the word "artificial." It's not truth, It's not human, It's not real. Thanks for making us aware of the danger, especially with the small kids and other vulnerable people.
I keep saying it: AI is nothing more than a really smart interactive encyclopedia and limited by who and what slant the programmer had. It's not alive. It will never be alive. It will never give you 100% accuracy (because of the numbskull who programmed it).
One of me is enough...no copies please
I'm 72. My eight year old grandsons just visited for several days (I see them maybe twice a year because their parents have important jobs in another state and soon somewhere out of the country.) I think parents (and teachers) today need to be more creative than I was, or mine were, in order to compete with all of the electronic toys, AI, TV videos, etc. And yes, limits need to be set. But just as humans mostly survived automobiles, aircraft, and microwaves, just as we survived television, superglue, rock music, vel-cro, and computers with world wide web and that weird cloud, I think we'll figure it out. (Sean could tell the difference between his and the AI generated text, so do/will we.) Life will look different, but we'll still be the fumbling, bumbling hopeful creatures we've always aspired to be.
I love your attitude!
What an intelligent, thoughtful way to look at the whole situation.
Us old folks have been saying we have to monitor all the computerized stuff young kids are given but it is not happening to the degree it should. Many children prefer their screens to human interaction and this really is scary!! Thanks Sean for trying to bring to light this soon to be (if not already) major crisis!!
That really IS scary!
Add to this the fact that an MIT study found that AI can reduce critical thinking skills, especially in younger people, and it looks indeed like danger coming down the road.
As tho we need reduced critical thinking skills. 😩
At Last!! I have been thinking and sometimes, saying for a while, that A I is evil. Yes, I know it can be helpful and figure out the "card stuff" quickly for us. But that only makes us less inclined to use our God given brains! Also, I dont remember what program I was watching a few yrs ago. but, it was prophesied that in the. end times, there would be an A I figure pretending to be Christ that would fool many people . I have had a morbid creepy feeling about A I since then and want nothing to do with even the forerunner of it. I believe it's a demonic system .
Can you say "A-nt-I Christ?"
Yes. Trump.
Not true. It is said that everyone will love the antichrist.
Trump called himself "the chosen one" in a video once.. He has fooled a LOT of people!!.
Remember, though - it was fiction
Nope, it's on at least two videos. One's about 30 seconds and one is over two minutes long with more context.
Wow. Parents really need to pull their kids off of it for most of the day.