The learning journey
Another day of studies, and the topic of education keeps coming up. It’s fascinating—and a bit unsettling—to watch how artificial intelligence is naturally weaving itself into the learning process. Like it or not, AI is bound to become the norm for future generations.
At the same time, I can’t help but notice something troubling about the overall direction of education, especially here in Poland: the depth and scope of general knowledge seem to be thinning out. Material that used to be standard in primary school is now being delayed until high school. With AI entering the picture, we may be approaching another shift—a new way of delivering information that, while efficient, could affect how deeply we engage with what we’re learning.
Let’s start with the upside. AI has enormous potential to customize learning, adapting to each person’s way of thinking and processing information. Imagine an education system that teaches each person in the way their brain works best. It sounds ideal, doesn’t it? But here’s the catch—something I didn’t initially consider: by relying too heavily on AI, we risk losing that immersive experience of “exploring” a topic. It becomes less about the journey of discovery and more about getting a quick answer.
Think about it this way: if we want to learn about The Beatles, we might start with a quick Google search. But in that process, we inevitably come across so much extra context. We learn about the band members as individuals, their partners, the cultural movements of their era, even the politics and social changes of the time. It's like falling into a rabbit hole of interconnected ideas, each one adding depth to our understanding. That messy, winding journey reinforces neural connections and gives us a more layered, lasting grasp of the topic.
Now, imagine a future where knowledge is delivered with question-and-answer efficiency, almost sterile. Kids might ask, “Who were The Beatles?” and receive a neat, concise answer, stripped of the side stories, the personalities, the atmosphere of the 60s, and the chance to see how interconnected everything really is.
What will happen to the depth of our knowledge then? Will we end up with a generation that knows "just enough" but misses the bigger picture? It feels like we’re on the edge of an educational shift that, while convenient, could leave us with a surface-level understanding of things that once invited us to dive deeper.
Maybe it's worth thinking about how we can find a balance so that AI becomes more than just a shortcut—it becomes an enhancer on the journey of learning. After all, isn’t it the journey that makes knowledge truly meaningful?