aichatbot – Katherine Reilly

by Katherine Reilly, originally published in ELT NEWS

Perhaps one of the most controversial topics I have ever been called upon to examine is that of the thinking machine. The dominant fear amongst skeptics is one of an artificial takeover via physical altercations, of technology over man. The imagery of science fiction may flood our minds; graphic depictions such as those featured in the popular Terminator film franchise, in which a dystopian future was brought about by our dependence on an entity of our own creation. Look no further fellow educators, for the future is dawning upon us. Whether we realize it or not, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has already paved the way to restructuring our lives and the course of events that will follow. No, we are not referring to the potential physical dominance by AI, but rather our compliant cognitive subjugation to it.