AI and Human Expertise: Why Education Still Matters

With recent developments in AI, including conversational solutions such as ChatGPT, Claude, Llama, and Gemini, users can now perform advanced statistical analysis or complete complex language tasks in the blink of an eye. But with these advancements, is human expertise still relevant?

The answer is a resounding YES!

Let’s explore why continuous education is crucial for unlocking the unlimited possibilities of AI.

The pitfall of quick gains 

The human brain is lazy, always looking for the quickest and easiest solution, leaving room for relaxation. When combined with an innate thirst for success - be it passing exams or building a thriving business - this tendency can lead to misuse of AI for quick gains rather than longer-term, profound advances.

AI as enabler and accelerator; not a solver 

Instead of considering AI as a solver, e.g. a non-statistician to perform clustering analysis by unquestionably using a random model selected by ChatGPT, it should be seen as an enabler and accelerator.

AI as an enabler

Consider an old-school data professional strong in statistics and mathematics but not up-to-date with the latest advances in data science, which bring automation, scalability, and use of advanced statistical algorithms to new levels. If this person knew how to use Python for these tasks, the outcome of their knowledge would be exponentially more impactful than today which is limited to the capabilities of proprietary software, such as SPSS or MATLAB. Not to mention the cost aspect which often consists of a prohibitive factor.

ChatGPT, which essentially runs Python in the background to execute statistical tasks, can bridge this gap. The data professional can use ChatGPT to leverage any Python library through simple conversations.

“ChatGPT, run a clustering analysis for the attached dataset using the Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) with the following parameters:

• n_components=3
• covariance_type='full'
• tol=1e-3
• reg_covar=1e-6
• max_iter=300
• init_params='kmeans'
• random_state=42

”

AI can enable users to reach new heights in their profession.

AI as an accelerator

Imagine a software developer who has written thousands of lines of code for a specific program. Somewhere in the code, there is a sneaky error, such as a missing semicolon or a unclosed quotation mark. It might take the developer several hours to review all the code and find the error.

On the other hand, ChatGPT can detect the error in a matter of seconds. 

AI can help users complete tasks at unprecedented speed.

The path forward: Emphasizing education and training

To harness the full potential of AI in any industry, it is imperative to continue to invest in human education and training. Here are some suggested steps:

• Curriculum Development: Integrate AI tools into educational curricula across various fields, teaching students not only how to use these tools but also how to critically evaluate their outputs.
• Continuous Learning: Encourage professionals to commit to lifelong learning, staying updated with the latest advancements in both AI and their specific domains. This mindset will enable them to leverage AI tools more effectively and responsibly.
• Ethical Considerations: Educate users on the ethical implications of AI use, ensuring they understand the importance of responsible AI deployment and the potential consequences of over-reliance on automated systems.

Conclusion

Responsible usage of AI, where it complements human knowledge rather than replacing costly experts with cheaper but inexperienced professionals, is key to achieving continuous advancements perpetually.

Prioritizing quick gains may yield short-term progress, but without a strong foundation in human education, this approach risks a less promising future as the expertise of current well-educated generations diminishes over time.

What’s your view on this?