Educating for Intellectual Character and the AI Revolution in Education

Abstract

While there is widespread agreement that the new AI technology will revolutionize education, the exact nature of why it will have such a dramatic effect is often left unclarified. It is argued that understanding the nature of the AI educational challenge requires us to recognize that the overarching epistemic goal of education is to cultivate intellectual character. This enables us to appreciate how AI poses a very different challenge to education than traditional forms of technology. While one can normally effectively adapt educational practices to new technology, this is not possible in the case of AI due to how it has the potential to deprive students of the cognitive activities that educators use to cultivate intellectual character. With the AI educational challenge so understood, two interconnected strategies of response are proposed: introducing ‘cloistered’ periods of instruction where students are insulated from AI-based technologies, and explicitly teaching students the theory behind educating for intellectual character. In addition, it is argued that a coordinated program of empirical study that goes along with these responses is required to ensure their effectiveness and refine their application.