Page 29 - Журнал «Русский Берег» #10-2022

RUSSIAN COAST | № 2/9 2022 МНЕНИЕ | OPINION

perception of text from the screen and from to be our friend and educator but then of spiritual development, and the result is
paper book is different – and the screen is it suddenly turned into a spy and a the world around us with all its colors and
not in favor. hangman. It started in China where big shades. It would never become such a
Still, it’s all about questions rather than data determines the “trustworthiness” of great place being nothing but a game of a
answers. Yet many famous and progressive a citizen, but there are no legislative or cold mind.
universities are moving away from digital technical barriers to prevent this digital Games of a cold mind, as a rule,
learning technologies. Not completely terror from spreading all over the world. may lead to very sad consequences for
away, of course, but they do not make How “fair”, “humane” and “reasonable” civilization – millions of victims and a
digital technologies a cornerstone of their such a system can be, citizens of Moscow rebound of tens or even hundreds of years
teaching methodology. All these media could feel during the first wave of the ago. Artificial intelligence, free of moral
stuff and online courses are still there – but pandemic, when, hastily developed guidelines (and it should be free of them
just as an addition to the existing teaching programs for total control over human – since morality is not determined by the
principles that have been tested for behavior were used. Social monitoring reason), may decide one day that mentally
decades (or even centuries). After all, it’s got lots of comments, mostly non‑printed, ill people, disabled people, unable to take
not something new. Just few decades ago as well as a system for obtaining one‑ care of themselves, are not useful for the
(or few moments ago from the historical time daily passes. It failed and issued fines society, and, thus, are to be “optimized”.
perspective) an idea of education on TV without any reasons, and it was extremely From the point of view of the “overmind”
was extremely popular. In the USSR there difficult to complain about these fines. it is extremely irrational to feed the elder
was an entire “educational” TV channel Replacing the human factor with an people, who are not able to transfer the
(on the 3rd button, who remembers), artificial intelligence seems rational only accumulated knowledge to the youth, thus,
with lots of interesting and informative at first glance. Yes, we may exclude such almost all old people, except for several
programs. Yet nobody was able to master human qualities as meanness, stupidity, hundred “valuable” intellectuals, may turn
at least the material of high school only greed ‑ the digital controller, dispassionate out to be “superfluous”... And who will
through this channel. and impartial, is free of these vices. Yet determine their “value”? Random number
Various technical teaching aids have somehow it has been completely forgotten generator? The digital mind, following
existed in Soviet schools since the early that law enforcement officers should inexorable mathematical laws, will always
1970s. You may remember all that stuff: actually have other qualities: nobleness, a strive to optimize costs and maximize
language labs, film demonstration systems, sense of justice, humanity, empathy – and asset efficiency. Thus a system based on
various projectors, educational filmstrips. the robots turned out to be free from these “artificial intelligence” will constantly
There were plenty of those – but they did “vices” too. Digital management based on optimize social expenses and increase the
not lead to any serious breakthrough. algorithms alone, without any human factor burden on able‑bodied citizens to the level
In fact, they were nothing but a funny seems reasonable only at first glance, and of their physical survival. So the brave new
addition to the main program that this first glance is rather doubtful, since it digital world from the future wonderland,
allowed a teacher to switch the attention is based on the premise that management as our days seemed some 10‑15 years
of students and let them relax a little. decisions are made by a potential criminal ago, does not seem to be so marvelous
Digital technologies gave us much more – if they are made by human. To what and beautiful.
– more visualization, more data to work extent the control mechanism should have Few years ago, the Moscow government
on. It became possible to create various degraded, if the task‑setters did not even ordered a digitalization project for the city.
interactive systems, but all this does not doubt the correctness of their formulations! One of the participants of the digitalization
exist on their own. It’s just an addition to However, this is not our topic. We project, a prominent scientist and
the personality of the teacher. It works are talking about digital solutions, academician, said: “Digitalization is not a
perfectly when the teacher is great in their about digital technologies. Talks about panacea. Don't try to digitize the mess! The
work. And what if they are not? The Internet artificial intelligence are really popular digitized mess is still a mess, it's an illusion
cannot replace the teacher's personality now. It seems that intelligence, artificial that digitalization will bring an order! We
since because it is only a communication or natural, is able to solve all possible need to optimize the management first,
technology, not communication itself. You problems, but in the pursuit of hype, and then to develop digital platforms!”
cannot talk to your phone – you can talk for some reason, everyone forgot that Unfortunately, his voice has not been
only to a person on the other end. The intelligence is only one of the qualities of heard, and significant budgetary funds
Internet is just a network. It only connects the human personality. Wouldn't you like have already been allocated for the
users. It can be good or bad, fast or slow, to set a goal – after artificial intelligence, development of digital platforms. But he
but it’s just a way to connect people. try to create artificial kindness, artificial is essentially right: before relying on the
nobleness, honor, conscience, faithfulness “magic” properties of new technologies,
DANGEROUS AI to a duty, artificial empathy, artificial love, one should first try to change the world
Finally, there is one more unexpected at least? Human civilization has made a for the better here and now. Virtual reality
aspect of the digital future, which was long way, and this way was not only the is virtual because it is not real. It may be
hardly predicted by its enthusiastic way of sharpening mental abilities. It was good to dream inside it, but not to live in it,
propagandists few years ago. IT used also a very difficult and ambiguous path I guess...

29