Between autonomy and automation: reflections on GAI and education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26512/lc32202659189Keywords:
Generative artificial intelligence, Cognition, Education, Technological ethicsAbstract
This essay deals with the duality of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI), a crossroads for human cognitive development. The tension between the promise of efficiency and the fear of cognitive atrophy is explored, in parallel with Socrates' criticism of writing. The impact of GAI on education is analyzed, contrasting its potential for Vygotskian mediation with the risk of inhibiting critical thinking. The discussion is deepened by situating technology in the contexts of Han (Society of Tiredness) and Zuboff (Surveillance Capitalism), which favor automation over autonomy. It concludes with a two-pronged response: a personal "cognitive diet" and systemic regulation that prioritizes human well-being. GAI emerges as an ambivalent technology; its impact will depend on ethical, political, and individual choices.
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