How China Is Using Artificial Intelligence in Classrooms | WSJ

Summary

China is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) in classrooms to enhance educational outcomes. Students wear headbands that measure concentration and send data to teachers and parents. This initiative aims to boost students' grades but raises concerns about privacy and the effectiveness of the technology. While some see these devices as a way to enforce discipline and improve focus, others question the accuracy and implications of collecting such data, especially since it can be used for government research. As China continues to invest heavily in AI, the long-term impact on students remains to be seen.

Highlights

• Chinese students wear headbands that measure concentration levels and send data to teachers. 🤖
• The use of AI in education raises privacy concerns as data may be used in government research. 📊
• The effectiveness and accuracy of these tools remain under scrutiny. 🔍

Key Takeaways

• AI is transforming Chinese classrooms with gadgets that measure students' concentration. 🎓
• Despite privacy concerns, China is pushing forward with AI in education. 🚀
• The effectiveness of these AI tools in truly enhancing education is yet to be proven. 🤔

Overview

In a groundbreaking move, China is integrating AI into educational settings with innovative tools like concentration-measuring headbands for students. This initiative is part of a larger, government-backed ambition to position China as a global leader in AI technology. Students and parents weigh the pros and cons of this new approach to learning, which includes a focus on raising academic performance, albeit amidst mounting privacy concerns.

The AI-driven headbands, designed to track students' attention and send reports to teachers and parents, have sparked a debate. Some educators praise the enforced discipline and improved focus among students, but experts caution against relying heavily on such nascent technology. The EEG technology used is often reserved for clinical settings, making its transition to classrooms a subject of intrigue and skepticism.

The privacy and ethical considerations are significant, with parents and experts questioning the extent of the data use. Despite these challenges, the program's roll-out continues, aiming to cover millions of students. As this large-scale experiment unfolds, its impact on students' future lives and academic success remains uncertain. China's commitment to AI illustrates a bold, yet controversial, step towards educational reform.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction to AI in Classrooms The chapter titled 'Introduction to AI in Classrooms' discusses the innovative use of technology in a primary school in China. Teachers are now equipped with headbands that measure each student's concentration levels. This data is then sent directly to the teachers' computers and shared with parents, facilitating better engagement and focus. China aims to lead globally in the field of artificial intelligence, and this implementation is a step towards integrating AI into education.
• 00:30 - 01:00: AI in Daily Life and Education The chapter 'AI in Daily Life and Education' discusses the integration of artificial intelligence into various aspects of everyday life and educational environments. In daily life, AI has facilitated the shift towards a cashless economy, enabling people to make purchases using facial recognition technology. This is supported by a vast network of surveillance cameras equipped with facial recognition to assist law enforcement in monitoring citizens. In the realm of education, the chapter explores the futuristic advancements in schools, such as classrooms equipped with robots designed to analyze students' health and engagement levels. Additionally, it describes how students' uniforms are embedded with chips to track their locations, showcasing the potential direction of high-tech educational practices.
• 01:00 - 01:30: Surveillance and Experimentation in Schools This chapter explores the surveillance and experimentation in schools, particularly in China. It highlights the use of surveillance cameras to monitor student behaviors such as how often they check their phones or yawn during classes. These practices have raised concerns among Chinese netizens. Despite the controversy, schools have not faced challenges in obtaining parental consent to include students in one of the world's largest experiments in AI education, aimed at improving students' grades while also contributing data to powerful algorithms.
• 01:30 - 02:00: Government Investment and School Implementation This chapter explores the extensive financial efforts made by the government to integrate technology into education. It highlights the collaboration between tech companies, start-ups, and educational institutions. The chapter provides a detailed look at a primary school near Shanghai, where AI technology is actively used in the classroom, offering a firsthand glimpse into the innovations being implemented for fifth-grade students.
• 02:00 - 02:30: Using Brainwave Gadgets The chapter "Using Brainwave Gadgets" discusses a gadget that senses brainwaves. Students use it to practice meditation. The device, manufactured in China, uses three electrodes to detect electrical signals from neurons. These signals are transmitted in real-time to the teacher's computer to aid students in solving math problems.
• 02:30 - 03:00: Measuring and Reporting Concentration The chapter discusses the use of technology in classrooms to measure and report student concentration. Teachers can identify which students are paying attention and which are not. A detailed report is generated showing the concentration levels of each student at 10-minute intervals. This report is then shared with parents via a chat group. However, there is some skepticism about the effectiveness of these devices and what they truly measure.
• 03:00 - 03:30: Testing the Headbands' Accuracy A new study involves testing the accuracy of headbands designed to measure concentration using EEG technology. Therodore Zanto, a neural scientist, comments on the novelty and limited research of this technology. A reporter participates by trying on the device to gauge its effectiveness.
• 03:30 - 04:00: EEG Technology in Education The chapter discusses the use of EEG technology in educational settings, highlighting its traditional application in medical environments such as hospitals and labs. The chapter addresses the challenges posed by EEG's susceptibility to artifacts, emphasizing the need for proper setup and contact of the electrodes to avoid false readings. Despite these challenges, teachers have observed that EEG headbands contribute to improved student discipline.
• 04:00 - 04:30: Impact on Students and Privacy Concerns The chapter titled 'Impact on Students and Privacy Concerns' addresses the differing reactions of students towards a new initiative or change in their learning environment. Teachers have observed that many students are now paying better attention during class, which has led to them studying harder and achieving higher test scores. However, the response is not uniform, as not all students share the same level of enthusiasm about these changes, hinting at underlying privacy concerns or adaptation challenges.
• 04:30 - 05:00: Broader Implications and Future Observations The chapter explores the implications of monitoring student attention through data collection. It highlights the added pressure students face when their attention levels are tracked and reported to parents, who may use this information for disciplinary purposes. The potential use of this data in government-funded research projects is noted, raising concerns about privacy and transparency among parents, who often remain uninformed about the final destination of their children's data.

How China Is Using Artificial Intelligence in Classrooms | WSJ Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 (speaking in foreign language) - [Presenter] Teachers at this primary school in China-- (speaking in foreign language) know exactly when someone isn't paying attention. (speaking in foreign language) These headbands measure each student's level of concentration. The information is then directly sent to the teacher's computer and to parents. (upbeat hip hop music) China has big plans to become a global leader in artificial intelligence.
• 00:30 - 01:00 It has enabled a cashless economy, where people make purchases with their faces. A giant network of surveillance cameras with facial recognition helps police monitor citizens. Meanwhile, some schools offer glimpses of what the future of high tech education in the country might look like. (speaking in foreign language) Classrooms have robots that analyze students' health and engagement levels. Students wear uniforms with chips that track their locations.
• 01:00 - 01:30 There are even surveillance cameras that monitor how often students check their phones or yawn during classes. These gadgets have alarmed Chinese netizens. (digital dinging) (quizzical music) (digital swishing) But, schools say it wasn't hard for them getting parental consent to enroll kids into what is one of the worlds largest experiments in AI education. A program that's supposed to boost students' grades while also feeding powerful algorithms. (speaking in foreign language)
• 01:30 - 02:00 The government has poured billions of dollars into the project. Bringing together tech giants, start-ups and schools. (upbeat electronic music) We got exclusive access to a primary school a few hours outside of Shanghai. (speaking in foreign language) To see firsthand how AI tech is being used in the classroom. For this fifth grade class, the day begins with putting on
• 02:00 - 02:30 a brain wave sensing gadget. Students then practice meditating. (speaking in foreign language) The device is made in China and has three electrodes, two behind the ears and one on the forehead. These sensors pick up electrical signals sent by neurons in the brain. The neural data is then sent in real time to the teacher's computer, so while students are solving math problems,
• 02:30 - 03:00 a teacher can quickly find out who's paying attention and who's not. (speaking in foreign language) A report is then generated that shows how well the class was paying attention. It even details each student's concentration level at 10 minute intervals. It's then sent to a chat group for parents. (speaking in foreign language) The reports are detailed, but whether these devices really work and what they exactly measure isn't as clear.
• 03:00 - 03:30 (speaking in foreign language) We were curious if the headbands could actually measure concentration. So, one of our reporters tried on the device. (speaking in foreign language) - This is a new technology with, still, fairly little research behind it. - [Presenter] Therodore Zanto is a neural scientist at the University of California San Francisco. He was surprised to learn that this tech, called electroencephalography, also known as EEG,
• 03:30 - 04:00 is being used in the classroom on children. It's usually used by doctors in hospitals and labs. - [Theodore] EEG is very susceptible to artifacts and so, if you are itchy or just a little fidgety or the EEG wasn't setup properly, so that the electrodes didn't have a good contact, effects the signal. - [Presenter] Despite the chances for false readings, teachers told us the headbands have forced students to become more disciplined. (dramatic piano music)
• 04:00 - 04:30 (speaking in foreign language) Teachers say the students now pay better attention during class and that has made them study harder and achieve higher scores. (speaking in foreign language) But, not all students are as enthusiastic. (speaking in foreign language)
• 04:30 - 05:00 This fifth grader, whom we caught dozing off in class, told us his parents punish him for low attention scores and that kind of data adds a new kind of pressure for students. (speaking in foreign language) Companies we interviewed said the data can go to government funded research projects. We spoke to parents who were unclear about where the data ended up
• 05:00 - 05:30 and they didn't seem to care too much. Zanto says, there's likely no privacy protection at all. - [Theodore] The classroom is you're trying to make an assessment of an individual student, you really can't anatomize it. (dramatic electronic music) - [Presenter] Experts and citizens alike are sounding alarms about various aspects of the country's huge push into artificial intelligence. These classrooms are laboratories for future generations and while these new tools may potentially help
• 05:30 - 06:00 some two hundred million students raise their grades, just how this all works out won't be apparent until they become adult citizens. (upbeat electronic music)