Positive AI

Within this module we have discussed some concerning or problematic aspects of AI. Although certain fears are valid, there are many positive educational opportunities that come from AI.  

Within some AI systems such as ChatGPT, there are safeguards to decrease the risk of bias and harm (discussed in more detail in Introduction to AI, Week 1). 

“These guardrails involve filtering mechanisms to exclude explicit, harmful content from the training data, and fine-tuning processes that guide the model towards generating responses that align with ethical guidelines and societal norms. Furthermore, continual updates and monitoring are conducted to refine these models, ensuring they evolve in response to emerging ethical considerations and societal changes” (Hutson, 2024). 

AI can be beneficial for people who are neurodiverse. 

“Studies have shown that AI-driven technologies, such as adaptive learning platforms and personalized content delivery systems, can significantly improve engagement and learning outcomes for neurodiverse individuals” (Deetjen-Ruiz et al., 2024). 

What is neurodiversity?  

“Neurodiversity encompasses a broad array of cognitive functions and behavioral characteristics, such as social communication capabilities, emotional recognition and expression, attention levels, and various other mental processes” (Hutson, 2024). 

Why is this important? 

Neurodiverse workers bring the “potential to innovate and solve problems” (Hutson, 2024) within in the workplace and education.   

AI can adapt communication techniques to support neurodivergent learners who struggle with effective communication. 

Examples of AI-adaptive software include: 

• Closed captioning on videos 
• Grammar checking AI  
• Predictive text 
• Text-to-speech
• Speech-to-text

Leanne Williams is a Professor of Life Sciences at the University of Warwick and Academic Lead for LearnSci, an online STEM education company. Professor Williams presented at the Lovelace-Hodgkins Symposium on AI ethics at the University of Glasgow in 2024 and discussed the opportunities that AI presents to support neurodivergent learners and learners with wide-ranging additional support needs. 

Professor Leanne Williams presenting on AI educational opportunities

Within the presentation Professor Williams highlighted opportunities for AI to be beneficial to students with disabilities in numerous ways. Some of the opportunities explored included: 

• Focus apps – set schedules as well as focus schedules to stay on task. 
• Website blockers – these block websites that can be distracting. 
• Time-management – calendars that support planning and creating to-do lists, which reduce anxiety and stress. 
• Note taking apps – keep information in order allowing for clear and meaningful notes to be taken that make it easy to stay on track, increasing productivity. 
• Prompts – AI chat, such as ChatGPT, can help overcome the “where do I begin?” and “when do I stop?” conundrums. 

You can read more about Professor William’s perspectives on AI in education and the opportunities for support that it provides in the blog post, “Another digital revolution: The GenAI disruption” published in 2024.