[ExI] all we are is just llms

[efc at swisscows.email]

On Fri, 21 Apr 2023, spike jones via extropy-chat wrote:

> In the age of ChatGPT, what is a university now?  It is a place where one obtains the credentials needed to work at a profession
> which may not exist by graduation day?  Or is it a shopping mall for knowledge?  And if the latter, what kinds of things should that
> shopping mall offer now, and how?  Can the universities transition to where most of their function is in credential testing, rather
> than actual teaching?  Or can those peacefully coexist? 

As a teacher myself, at the vocational school level (between high school
and university) I try to teach my students how to think and how to solve
problems using the subject as the framework I work within.

One of the most common complaints I get from students is that they like
prompts and well defined list with steps for how to solve a problem, and
I tell them that if such lists exist, that job is already automated. So
that learning how to think and how to solve problems, they will become
much more valuable in the job market, than people who just rely on
lists, prompts and well defined problems.

The advantage is that the ones who learn are great and I've hired some
of them myself and had colleagues in the IT business hire others and be
very happy with the result.

The disadvantage is that the students who lack intrinsic motivation and
interest in the field drop out rather quickly. I could say that by doing
that they make everyone a favour in the long term (including
themselves), on the other hand, if I could help people ignite their
passion for IT I could get more successful students, and I am thinking
hard about how to do that.

Just some notes from the field of education in the times we're living.

Best regards, 
Daniel