If a particular, vulnerable in-school population drew its own conclusion that AI as a tool was safer than other available edu options, then we'd honor that decision and we would imagine you would, as well. As a non-tech analog, home schooling families are making a similar choice, no?

We admit we don't quite understand this and we would like to. AI, as an instructional tool (again, leaving aside whether one thinks it's any good or not), is one of the core use cases being pushed.

to try to see the vast diversity of experiences, access, oppression, and opportunity in our education system. Once more, where we were attempting to elevate a particular population as a way to open the aperture, you experienced exploitation.

Our intention, using a number of points of reference, including predation, was to point out that blanket statements are likely problematic. We don't believe that it is obvious that in 100% of cases, replacing teachers with tech is unworthy of mere consideration. To say as much, we feel, forces us

As we mentioned above, our intention wasn't to suggest zero human contact. We disagree, and not as shills for AI as a tool!, that there is zero reason to believe AI in edu can save children from predators. But our point wasn't to say there is or there isn't.

Where you are seeing theatrics, we're seeing raising awareness. We don’t agree that, in the context of asking the question “Should AI replace teachers?” that if one were talking about a teacher who is a predator that that is exploiting the pain and suffering of the victims.

Very much appreciate you continuing to share your thoughts. We’ve been thinking about your perspective and are not above revising our own! It’s clear we’re not on the same page and we’d like to see if we can get there.

makes sense to us because some folks are explicitly positioning it that way, as you've shared. However, we don't think that, if we center students, that it is in service of students to shut down how a particular new tool might help even just a few students in even just a few use cases.

all of its present hype & confusion, & its potential to be useful in some way. In our view, educators are, understandably and rightly, very protective & defensive of their role in society because of how poorly treated and poorly regarded their work is. That AI is viewed as a threat to teachers. . .

families would have preferred anything to the devastation of the predation. For some families, the comparison is actually real. We could substitute any potentially-less-harmful-than-child-predation option for AI; AI is at the center here because of its dangers, . . .

The intention was to illustrate the importance of moving past blanket statements. One of us has studied the problem of child predation in education and, in that extreme case, if AI, in this case, were to be considered less of a threat than predation, it's highly likely the victims and their. . .

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond and share your thoughts. Let's see if we can work through this. The extreme is intended to highlight the nuance, not suggest that, a priori, AI is better than a child predator.

One of our daughters just named this issue, in response to a fifty-word college essay prompt, as the number one issue humans face. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks, Margo! We think you'll appreciate the nuances we're trying to highlight. Thinking in terms of replacement, rather than centering students, we believe, is reductive and lazy.

Thanks for the comment! "Instead" is for educators who may be overwhelmed re: how to use AI in their practice. "Instead" offers a path that may be more accessible for now while leading to a more informed & productive use of the tech later on. Those ready for both should absolutely have at!

We try to focus on the context: extremely difficult for overwhelmed/over-burdened educators to find time to think about something as complex as AI w/o letting go of other, equally important, work. Just getting through the day can exhaust any sense-making energy reserves!

Could not agree more!!! retentionmatters.substack.com/p/to-achieve...