Hello, AI lovers! We're coming to you next, but this first message is directed to all of the AI haters or skeptics out there. If this describes you, you've probably been less than impressed by some AI products that were spit out and subsequently used as is. Artificial Intelligence experts stress that AI users need to do two things to maximize the outcomes. Unfortunately, just because people use an AI tool, doesn't mean that these two things automatically happen. They are:
- People need to learn to write specific AI prompts that more accurately deliver the desired product and
- Users must examine the outcomes through a critical lens making sure the content jives with what we know as professionals
Experts also explain, whether you're an AI lover or not, it's our jobs as teachers to explain, demonstrate and give opportunities to students to explore these two "AI Optimizing Concepts" in the classroom. As adults we can look at outcomes to make sure that we're getting what we want and then subsequently take steps to get better results; But more importantly, we need to model these practices for students.
To be future-ready, experts advise creating prompts, exploring the outcomes and examining effectiveness within the classroom. Together, we should ask critical questions.
- Did we get the final product quality that we wanted?
- What specific things can we add to the prompt that might bring better results?
- What "signs" do we need to look for and potentially improve that can make our outcomes more ideal?
- Does this address the correct audience?
- Did this deliver our desired outcome or does it still need additional tweaking and experimentation?
This leads to one last fundamental AI truth. Greater AI power comes from the understanding that the first prompt might not deliver the desired results. We should think of prompts like rough drafts of compositions; very rarely are they good to go the first time. It's difficult to deny that AI is truly amazing. It can be the ultimate springboard and time-saver; But additionally, the AI creators and users should be recognized as an essential cog in the creation process. Our students' future jobs and careers hang in the balance depending on how well they're prepared to work with AI, so whether we like it or not, we have a professional obligation to educate students about the ever-changing artificial intelligence landscape. It's clear that AI is here to stay so it's best that we get in on the ground floor where we can help steer students to recognize and understand the importance of proper, effective and ethical use.
