I write about AI for a living. I use ChatGPT almost every day and a plethora of other AI tools are integrated into my workflow. But after reading what author Dave Eggers recently told OpenAI employees, I found myself thinking even more about how AI affects my own kids.
Originally reported by The Verge, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman invited Eggers to speak to roughly 200 employees at the company last year. Given Eggers' reputation as an acclaimed novelist, founder of McSweeney's and longtime advocate for literacy, many probably expected a conversation about storytelling or creativity.
Instead, he delivered a blunt critique of generative AI's impact on education.
"The effect of ChatGPT on educators' lives is catastrophic," Eggers reportedly said. "If students are using it to compose... they'll never learn to write. And their voice is stolen from them... That's silencing an entire generation or two."
It's a dramatic statement, and while I don't agree with every part of it, it does raise questions that every parent should be asking.
Writing isn't just about producing words
One of the biggest misconceptions about AI is that writing is simply about creating a finished product. But it is not that easy. Writing is how we organize our thoughts and how we figure out what we actually believe. It's also how we learn to make an argument, explain an idea and communicate with other people.
Anyone who's ever stared at a blank page knows that the hardest part isn't typing the words, but actually doing the thinking that comes before them.
That's the part I'm most concerned about. If students immediately turn to ChatGPT to generate an essay, summarize a novel or answer every homework question, they're skipping the mental work that helps those skills develop in the first place.
I believe that's what Dave Eggers is worried about, too. While the finished assignment might look and sound better than what a child could have written, it's only a shell because arguably the child didn't learn anything.
I don't think schools should ban AI
Still, I don't think pretending ChatGPT doesn't exist is realistic. By the time today's elementary school students graduate from high school, AI will likely be as common as Google is today. Knowing how to use it responsibly will probably become an important life skill.
I think there's a big difference between using ChatGPT as a tutor and using it as a replacement for your own thinking.
For example, AI can be incredibly helpful for:
- explaining a difficult concept in simpler language
- brainstorming ideas before you start writing
- checking grammar or spelling after you've written something
- helping you study for a test
- giving feedback on a first draft
Those uses still require you to do the work. The line gets blurrier when AI writes the first draft for you, which is where Eggers' criticism has merit.
I have three children, and AI is going to be part of their education whether I like it or not. That means my job isn't to convince them never to use ChatGPT (my sixth grader already does — mostly to generate images of him playing soccer with Ronaldo, but he is still very aware of what it is). My job is to help them understand when they should and should not use it.
For example, if they're stuck on a math concept, AI can be a great teacher. If they need ideas for a science project, it can be a useful brainstorming partner. But if they immediately ask ChatGPT to write the essay they're supposed to write themselves, they've missed the point of the assignment.
My final thoughts
I don't think ChatGPT will "silence an entire generation." as long as parents stay diligent about how and why are kids use AI. Like every major technological shift before it, AI is a tool and we have to help our children use it safely.
But Eggers' warning is still worth hearing. As AI becomes more capable, it will become even more tempting to let it think for us instead of with us. That's a habit all of us need to resist.
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