Lecture on Reading, Writing, and AI

Introduction

• Presenter: Reka Lorinczy, a teacher of reading and writing and a novelist.
• Discussion on the impact of AI on human thriving, focusing on:
  • Individual capability
  • Community involvement
  • Democratic processes
  • Human nature

Historical Context: Paulo Ferreira

• Late 1950s, Recife, Brazil: Paulo Ferreira started a literacy program for agricultural workers.
• Used critical pedagogy to teach 300 illiterate workers to read and write.
• Plan to expand nationally to 40% of Brazil's illiterate population.
• 1964: Military dictatorship ended the literacy program and jailed Ferreira.
• Importance of literacy in empowering democratic participation (illiterates couldn't vote).

Importance of Literacy

• Teaching at the University of Salford focuses on creative and critical literacy.
• Literacy as a scale, not a binary state.
• Empowers critical and creative thinking, analysis, and self-reflection.
• Emphasizes continuing education and the empowerment of working-class students.
• Lifelong literacy's connection to fair societies and individual fulfillment.

Literacy as a Foundation

• Language as the source code of civilization.
• Reading and writing as software enabling societal development.
• Media as technology facilitating communication and change.
• Literacy's relationship to civilization, social, and political realms.

Artificial Intelligence and Literacy

• AI, specifically large language models, seen as a stepping stone towards general AI.
• ChatGPT's launch in November 2022 led to widespread use and concern in educational sectors.
• Concerns over AI-generated content replacing genuine human skill and thought, especially in education and literature.

Dangers and Misconceptions of AI in Writing

• Misconception of writing as merely a product rather than a process.
• Writing involves deep reflection and critical awareness, not just quick production.
• Concerns about the passive nature of AI-assisted content creation.

The Process of Writing

• Writing tasks reveal unique consciousnesses.
• Creative writing classes encourage diverse expression and self-discovery.
• Writing exercises different brain areas than mere copying or passive learning.

Neurological Insights

• Creative writing engages multiple brain areas, facilitating deeper thinking and creativity.
• The development of neurocognitive skills in experienced writers.
• Writing as a means of freeing cognitive resources for higher-order thinking.

Education and Humanization

• Paulo Ferreira's "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" emphasizes reflective, practice-based education.
• Literacy fosters individual and community empowerment.
• Humanization through education critical in today's AI-dominated future.

The Role of AI

• AI offers potential in education, science, and technology, but must be balanced with human reflection and agency.
• Concerns about AI's influence on democracy and individual purpose.

Conclusion

• Emphasizes learning to explore human consciousness and authoring one's life.
• The essential power of literacy in defining personal meaning and purpose.
• AI can't answer the profound personal questions of identity and purpose.

Final Thought

• Quoting Antonio Machado, the journey of writing and self-discovery is a personal and essential human endeavor.