On the complexity of change – Page 5

Humans vs. AI: The real difference

What is the difference between humans and AI? You are wondering … So was I …

In July of this year, I gave a keynote presentation at JALTCALL under the title “Language Learning with GenAI: Bridging the gap or burning the bridge.”

JALT is the Japanese Language Teacher Association, and JALTCALL is its large special interest group – I believe they have between 200 and 300 members in the interest group – in computer-assisted language learning. JALTCALL organizes its own annual conference in addition to the annual conference of JALT.

Glenn Stockwell gave the other keynote; and we both talked about the impact of generative AI on language education. And by the way, in 2024 Joel Tetrault gave one of the keynotes — also on AI.

Chris_Fry_Barcelona https://youtu.be/HBx7PMh0uNQ

So far so good … I knew the keynote had been recorded and was available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2ZIUrn3VbM. Thank you, JALTCALL. Greatly appreciated. And then, a couple of days ago, I was looking at a bunch of things – again on the topic of GenAI and mainly language education – and I came across the Humans vs. AI. Again on YouTube. And then I saw my name in the text below that video. Chris Fry in collaboration with a GenAI tool – NotebookLM – created a summarized version of my talk. Both are now on YouTube.

A talk about GenAI, now summarized and generated by GenAI. If you had mentioned this a few years ago, I’d have said: “Really???”

I will admit that I am flattered. And it is puzzling at the same time.

Decide for yourself – Human vs. AI – which one do you like better … and then feel free to let me know. Fair warning: at 6:13 minutes, the AI is so much quicker.

Let’s talk about AI …

Artificial intelligence has been a topic on this site. This is not surprising to people who know a little about me. I started learning about natural language processing and – a little later – about student modeling in 1995, when I began to work at the Centre for Computational Linguistics at UMIST. All three – natural language processing, student modeling , and computational linguistics – are part of artificial intelligence research in their different ways. Over the last many months, I started learning more about generative AI and how it impacts education and especially language education. I have now completed drafts for two book chapters. I have started splitting them into smaller parts and edited them slightly. I hope you will find them interesting. The first part is up. Let me know you think this academic writing is working on a blog.

Fractal. One morning. And another.

Was he crazy?

I am not sure who asked this question. It’s legitimate to ask. I have been working on this blog (and another one, for that matter) for over four years now. Is there much to show for it? Am I crazy? In a time of everyone being able to blast out text … in a time of radio shows having a blog or a podcast … celebrity therapists writing to thousands each week … And I am just writing. Who is reading this? I don’t know. I only see the stats of views and visitors and likes and comments and countries and continents and referrers and search engines. From all continents and countries, do the viewing and visiting – and maybe reading – and the liking and commenting. Leave a trace. For me – and maybe for all of you – it is good to think about writing once in a while. To reflect. We learn best when we take time to reflect. Reflect on writing.

Writing used to be a lonely affair. Thomas Mann had certain hours of the day during which he would retreat to his study and write. Nobody allowed near. Children tip-toeing. I am writing once a week. Wherever I can sit with my laptop. Every week. I don’t make it every week. To the writing group in the early morning. The writing feels fractured. I write slowly and have to find the time. More time, because I write slowly. Only a fraction of what I think about ends up being written. Not all I write, you can read. Fractured. As I said. Or is it? Fractured? For some time now, I write for this blog. This is not fiction. It is my reality. Texts I want to build up and out. Texts I want to collect. Thoughts I want to structure. On complexity. On change. And then ending up writing about AI. Often. AI and again AI. But that was just recently. Before that I used the other blog for practice. Writing practice. Was he crazy? Yes, I am asking about myself. Am I crazy? Just practicing and putting it out there? Soon after having written it. And most of it. The personal. The fictional. The poetic. The raw and unpolished. Practice in public. Reflect. Who reads it anyway? You tell me. Are you reading this? Writing is a lonely affair. These days. On the computer. On the interweb. Funny word. And an even stranger place, when I write. And strangely familiar. A place where you can read anything. Are you reading this?

Maybe it is not fractured. It is small. And small again. Similar. Sometimes self-similar. Fractal. Aren’t fractals beautiful? Will many small make one large? Not fractured? But fractal. Similar. Self-similar. And connected. Like a tree. Naturally grown. The structure of the veins of a small leaf are similar to the structure of the twigs and branches of that same tree. Fractal. Complexity.

If I am not crazy, the little texts will fit together and form an intricate blog. Over time.

Was he crazy?