Artificial Intelligence; Rethinking- Learning in an Era of HumanMade Technology and Capitalist Mechanism

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) have revolutionised the interaction between humans, knowledge and technology. What once needed years of formal education, years of institutional access or specialist's help is now obtained, translated, explained, reorganised in seconds. This unprecedented accessibility can help to minimize some of the age disadvantages in learning and provide lifelong education. Meanwhile, it asks the essential question: With the ready availability of answers, and analyses the decisions through own judgement, curiosity, critical understanding and intellectual independence. This paper critically discusses the overlaps between AI, Age, Education, Automation and Capitalism. But it's not necessarily the democratisation of education, it says, arguing that the democratisation of access to AI shouldn't be equated with the democratisation of education. While it can overturn the notion that technological skills are predominantly the purview of younger people, the potential for age disparities leading compounded differences in access to these tools, algorithmic bias, and confidence gaps and differences in digital and AI literacy. At the same time, the increasing machine-like nature of the educational activities threatening to change the purpose of education from learning and human development to efficiency, productivity and measurable outcome is awaited niche. Literature-based analysis is carried out by reference to the UNESCO, OECD, Stanford AI Index, IMF, ILO, and peer-reviewed scholarship along with the theoretical approaches of critical pedagogy, digital ageism and technological capitalism. Based on secondary data, the use of AI by students is already prevalent and evidence about the impacts on learning is mixed, and largely dependent on the context of use. This paper suggests neither technological rejection nor unconditional adoption. Rather, a human-centred approach should be pursued where AI is a tool for intellectual work and not an intellectual replacement in education systems. AI literacy, critical thinking, intergenerational learning, teacher agency, and transparent assessment and equitable access, therefore, should be central to modern education.