Why AI Could Be Good for the Liberal Arts

The advent of artificial intelligence has inaugurated a wave of economic and social transformations whose full implications we may not know for decades. In the realm of higher education, we are currently scrambling to cope with the rapid changes in our classrooms and curriculum development. Many in academia see A.I. as the death of the liberal arts – after all, what is the purpose of an English degree in a world where the computer can write your papers? However, this question misses the whole point of liberal arts disciplines. The liberal arts do not teach students skills but instead how to think and individuals who can think for themselves will soon be more important than ever.

The British philosopher Michael Oakeshott once argued that there are two types of education: technical and liberal. A technical education emphasizes what we call hard skills – highly specific techniques that can be applied to clear vocations. Such teaching has long been the focus of most STEM programs and of course of our technical and vocational schools. A liberal education on the other hand, teaches a way of thinking – offering students an approach to critical thinking that can be applied both to daily life and any number of jobs. Using Oakeshott’s framework of education can help us to see the continuing value of the liberal arts in a world increasingly flushed with AI technology.

Read more: https://ordinary-times.com/2024/05/28/why-ai-could-be-good-for-the-liberal-arts/