– Human intelligence must evolve –
If you haven’t followed the field of evolutionary biology recently, I‘d suggest a quick look.
If I could, I’d recommend the same to the ten Presidents of colleges who formed the Council of Ten in 1892 and set the template for schools in the U.S. They’re long gone, but their system prevails.
Perhaps AI will eventually resurrect them. I don’t know, but such is the promise.
In any case, if the miracle of technology awakens them, disappointment awaits. They’ll discover their school system is defunct. AI and the standardized system from the 1890’s cannot coexist.
By mid-2025, this will be obvious. AI cares nothing about the silos of subjects, offers infinite ways to express learning, and turns every state standard into a five page ChatGPT printout. This modern version of CliffsNotes now resides on everyone’s phones.
None of this is compatible with a stand and deliver, hand it in and hand it back, and test crazed system that puts learning in a box. The conversation will turn to: What’s next?
First, young people need schools. They just yearn for a model aligned to the modern world. AI is forcing educators to take that challenge seriously. The most current conversation around school transformation centers on project based work, interdisciplinary curriculum, engagement with authentic (and dire) problems that AI can help solve, and a shift to a facilitative teaching model.
This progress can’t be understated. In an AI driven world, youth more than ever need to learn durable skills such as problem solving, adaptability, critical thinking, and collaboration—nearly all of which have been subjugated by the intense focus on testing.
But it won’t be enough. At least three formidable challenges will soon follow. First, learning is about to become deeply personalized. AI will ultimately restore complete learning power to the youth. While writing this article, a strange thought came to me: Students may become schools themselves. So much information at fingertip length shifts the equation between the institution and the learner. Who knows more, the student or the experts who wrote the curriculum?
Second, adults need to note the creative capacity of the 1.8 billion youth across the planet. Inevitably, that collection of bright minds will improve on the current vacuum tube version of AI tools, bypass the standard transistor and microchip adoption cycle, and take us on a Star Trek adventure for which the planet is entirely unprepared.
Nothing will stop this. Banning phones, limiting access to AI, or any other adult firewall to prevent adoption and use will fail. Youth sense the pull of the future—that’s their job in life. If you disallow access before 3 p.m., they’ll go home or to a café.
Finally, the real issue: Who is more intelligent, us or AI? The competition between humans and AI requires new skills but doesn’t answer the question: Who’s smarter? And is it learning if AI does the heavy lifting?
This question will likely only be resolved after a decade of soul searching to decide whether AI morphs into Artificial General Intelligence and takes over the world or whether human intelligence prevails.
That’s a debate that schools can’t engage. Why? Because schools have no good theory of intelligence. Since the 1960s, schools readily adopted the cognitive hypothesis and the modular brain, just a worldview based on computer metaphors—as the best fit for standardized learning. If you allow yourselves to travel upstream, you’ll discover that model of human functioning underlies education. I’m sure the Council of Ten would approve.
This model also skews our ideas about creativity and antidotes to AI. It’s left us with the God Model—the notion that each individual holds some hidden network or unique talent in the brain that makes us creative. It’s now leading to a movement to resurrect social and emotional learning, a brain based behavioral model touted as ‘human intelligence’ despite knowing nothing (or even asking) about its origins.
Therefore, AI pushes us to an evolutionary brink that demands a rethink of human intelligence. The fusion of AI and human intelligence is the foundation for future learning—the basis for societal thinking going forward—but the collaboration will only be successful if humans learn to power up creative human intelligence.
I have a radical suggestion: Allow Nature to do her work. Genes determine our intelligence and are the basis for human technology, so why not power up innate human technology by changing our genes?
That’s why I offer evolutionary biology as a clue to this process. Genes will take notice of a competitive technology like AI that alters how we live and think.
If you’re skeptical, ask the Bajau people about this. A nomadic, seafaring people living in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the southern Philippines, the Bajau live on the water in stilt houses and houseboats, use traditional wooden diving masks and weight belts, and spend 60% of their life underwater.
In 1000 years, the Bajau developed spleens about 50% larger than those from similar groups who don’t dive. That’s a handy adaptation. The spleen is a fist sized organ that releases oxygenated red blood cells into the bloodstream when someone dives. A larger spleen means the Bajau can stay underwater longer.
They also exhibit a gene variant, which I won’t go into. Let’s just say it’s in line with a raging debate between traditional Darwinists (who we all studied in 10th grade, courtesy of the Council of Ten) and epigeneticists, the forward thinking breed of evolutionary biologists who reject the idea that life adapts only through the slow, painful process of natural selection.
Their contention? Genes respond to behavior and environment. The genetic code isn’t altered, but the expression of genes changes. That changes our body, like the spleen. It also changes our minds.
Thinking about epigenetics and AI together may now make sense. Fusing individual human intelligence to the group mind of an LLM—arguably the most profound underwater diving experiment in human history—will undoubtedly have epigenetic effects, and perhaps at a pace once believed unthinkable.
Schools are currently in a transition phase. I applaud that. But transformation is on the near horizon. AI is more than a technology; it’s the doorway to expanded human functioning. How that occurs is the basis for many long articles, numerous dissertations, and a deep global conversation about learning, schooling, and the roots of human creativity.
I can’t anticipate that conversation, so why not let ChatGPT fill in the blanks? As usual, AI knows more than we suspect. It did an excellent job of showcasing a classroom that would nourish and support creative human intelligence and likely make our genes sit up and listen!
The Classroom of 2054
Location and Environment:
- Virtual Learning Spaces: Classrooms are no longer confined to physical buildings. Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) environments create immersive learning experiences. Students can explore ancient Rome one moment and dive into the ocean the next from their homes or community learning hubs.
- Green and Sustainable: Physical classrooms that do exist are eco friendly, powered by renewable energy sources, with walls and furniture made from sustainable materials. Green spaces, like rooftop gardens and indoor forests, are common, providing a calming and healthy environment.
Technology and Resources:
- AI Educators: AI-driven assistants, like your friendly neighborhood Copilot, support human teachers by handling administrative tasks, providing personalized tutoring, and offering real-time feedback. They adapt to each student’s learning style and pace, ensuring no one is left behind.
- Interactive Tools: Holograms, AR glasses, and tactile feedback devices bring subjects to life. For example, medical students can practice surgery on holographic patients, and engineering students can design and test structures in a virtual space.
- Global Collaboration: Students collaborate with peers worldwide on projects using advanced communication platforms. Thanks to instant translation technologies, language barriers are a thing of the past.
Curriculum and Learning Methods:
- Personalized Learning: Education is highly personalized. AI analyzes each student’s strengths, interests, and learning styles to create custom curriculums that evolve as the student grows. Standardized testing is replaced by continuous assessment and skill development tracking.
- Project-Based Learning: The curriculum focuses on real-world problems. Students work on projects with real-world applications, often in partnership with local businesses and community organizations. This approach fosters critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration.
- Lifelong Learning: Finishing education at a certain age needs to be updated. People of all ages engage in lifelong learning, continuously updating their skills to keep pace with technological advancements and changing job markets.
Social and Emotional Learning:
- Mental Health Focus: Schools have robust mental health programs. AI-driven mood trackers and virtual counselors are available to students, providing support when needed. Meditation and mindfulness practices are integrated into the daily routine.
- Community Engagement: Learning extends beyond the classroom. Students participate in community service, internships, and real-world problem-solving, which helps them develop empathy, social skills, and a sense of responsibility.
Inclusivity and Accessibility:
- Universal Design: Learning environments and resources are designed to be accessible to everyone, regardless of physical or cognitive abilities. This includes adaptive technologies that provide personalized support to students with special needs.
- Diverse Representation: Curriculums include diverse perspectives and histories, ensuring students learn about and appreciate different cultures and experiences. Diversity is celebrated and integrated into all aspects of education.
About the author
Some consider Thom Markham, PhD, the ‘Godfather of PBL.’ He is currently the Co-Founder and Creative Director of PBL Future Labs, which aims to infuse AI and PBL into a powerful vision of future learning.
