In the era of unlimited access to knowledge, where Google and chatGPT are making it possible to access information anytime and anywhere, it’s becoming much less important to carry around extensive knowledge in our heads. Instead, we’re now able to rely on technology to provide us with the information we need in bite-sized pieces.

Shouldn’t our focus therefore shift from trying to "upload" information into our brains, to developing the ability to connect knowledge, question content critically and creatively, and ask good questions?

Asking good questions helps us in both our personal and professional life, by allowing us to seek out new knowledge, clarify misunderstandings, and explore new ideas. It helps us become more confident and self-directed learners, rather than rely on memorized content.

In the future, the emphasis in education should be on learning how to ask good questions, rather than memorizing facts and information. This will enhance our skills, make us more creative, and help us assess the reliability of information. Let’s look at 3 ways we can put this into practice:

Knowledge and Expertise 

Both good general knowledge and expertise have their own advantages and limitations, and both are important in different ways. Good general knowledge is crucial for personal development, communication, and problem solving, while expertise is critical for success in many professions. In today's world, a combination of both is necessary to navigate the complexities and succeed in various fields.

AI can fill in the gaps in general knowledge and assist experts in their fields. It has the potential to replace or significantly impact expert knowledge in various fields, such as medical diagnosis, financial forecasting, and legal research. However, AI-based systems still need to be trained and maintained by experts, which provides opportunities for experts to remain relevant by contributing to the development and improvement of these systems.

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In the future, rote memorization will likely become less important, as the use of AI frees us from the need to acquire extensive knowledge before understanding and questioning complex information and concepts in a specialized field. Still, AI will never completely replace human expertise: we still need the ability to challenge AI's findings, reflect on them, and make informed decisions based on the results.

Creativity

In a rapidly changing world, access to a broad base of knowledge across disciplines is essential for sparking creativity. Good general knowledge broadens our perspective, provides context and understanding, and develops transferable skills such as critical thinking and problem solving.

So being ‘smart’ in the future will depend on our ability to ask good questions, gain a combination of general knowledge and expertise, and use AI to enhance our knowledge and creativity. Our emphasis should be on developing these skills, rather than memorizing content.

What the future requires is easy access to a broad range of knowledge across diverse topics and disciplines. This access provides opportunities to establish connections between different areas of knowledge, to think critically and creatively, and to communicate effectively with others. In essence, a general understanding of or access to various aspects of life aids in personal development, communication, and problem-solving skills. It also helps us comprehend and navigate the world around us, including current events, social and political issues, and cultural trends. The key is to have unlimited access to knowledge. To make the most of this access, we need to learn how to effectively manage the vast amount of information available - and asking good questions can help us in this endeavor. 

One of the crucial benefits of asking good questions is that it promotes critical thinking and challenges our existing beliefs. When we ask questions, we actively engage with information and strive to understand it, leading to a deeper exploration of a topic and consideration of different perspectives. 

In comparison, simply memorizing content does not encourage critical thinking or challenge our beliefs. We may recite the information without truly comprehending it or considering alternative viewpoints. Even worse, we may waste valuable time gathering and memorizing information that is readily accessible with just a few clicks. Instead, this time should be used to enhance our understanding and creativity through meaningful questioning.

Trustworthiness

Online content has been a major catalyst for innovation and human progress. It has enabled the spread of new ideas and advancements in technology, improved access to information and resources, and enhanced civic participation and accountability. It has empowered individuals and communities and transformed the way we communicate and work. The continued evolution of the Internet and online content holds the potential to drive future innovation and progress. With the advancement of artificial intelligence, we may see a future where traditional learning becomes obsolete.

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However, the reliability of online content can be highly inconsistent. While there is a vast amount of accurate and trustworthy information available online, there is also a significant amount of unreliable or misleading information. This is largely due to the fact that anyone can post information online, regardless of their qualifications or expertise in the field. This results in a wide range of information available online, ranging from credible sources such as academic journals and government websites to less credible sources like personal blogs and social media posts. 

The potential for misinformation and disinformation to spread quickly through online platforms and social media is another factor that can affect the reliability of online content. Anonymity and accessibility of the Internet also make it easy for a wide range of actors to spread unreliable and malicious information, from propaganda and political manipulation to phishing and fraud. 

To determine the reliability of online content, especially as it serves as a basis for AI, it is crucial to assess the credibility of the source. This can be done by looking for evidence to support the claims, such as the author's qualifications and expertise, the reputation of the publisher, the date of publication, peer review, the impartiality of the sources, and fact-checking.

Ultimately, it is up to individuals to judge the reliability of information found online. By being critical and skeptical and verifying information from multiple sources, individuals can distinguish credible information from unreliable or misleading content. This, in turn, determines the quality of AI, and informs whether regulatory action is necessary.

Looking to the future

AI will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the role of expert knowledge, but it will not replace it entirely. AI-based systems can augment human expertise by providing new insights and automating certain aspects of work, but they still require a human touch to interpret the results and make informed decisions. Instead of replacing experts, AI can support and enhance their work, freeing uptime for higher-level tasks that require specialized human skills and knowledge.  

The future of AI is not about rote memorization, but rather, it's about asking good questions. By asking questions, we will be able to discover new knowledge and understanding with the help of AI. This will lead to the development of new theories, insights, and a deeper understanding of our world, fostering creativity and innovation. 

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Asking good questions will also help us communicate more effectively with each other and with AI. We’ll be able to incorporate our own understanding of a topic into meaningful discussions with others, allowing for better collaboration and learning from diverse perspectives. 

In conclusion, the ability to ask good questions and think critically about information will be key to our success in the age of AI. While memorization may still have its place in certain situations, it is the ability to ask good questions that will define us as individuals and enhance our democracy. Asking good questions will help us learn more effectively, discover new knowledge, and sharpen our understanding, giving us the confidence and self-direction needed to navigate the digital age.  

Digression 

In the past months, ChatGPT, a language modeling software developed using OpenAI, has revolutionized the way we search for information. ChatGPT* can talk to us and understand what we (want to) say.

It uses "deep learning" to understand and use text like a human. It's like having a very smart robot friend by our side, answering all our questions, conversing with us, and having access to the entire wealth of human knowledge at all times. And in the not-too-distant future, we’ll be able to upload the knowledge we need directly into our brains via a data line (see Neuralink andCo.). Anytime and anywhere.

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And by the way, this content was inspired by several hours of dialog with Chat-GPT3 in January 2023.

*Note: At the time of writing, the GPT-3 version can handle 175 billion parameters. Within the next few weeks, GPT-4, with the almost unbelievable ability to handle an unimaginable 100 trillion parameters, should be introduced. We’re sure that this will lead to completely new insights for mankind.

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