A crucial issue for the future of education, that of the “invasion” of Artificial Intelligence in education – mainly at the secondary level – will be discussed next Saturday, in Thessaloniki, by teachers and caregivers from all over Greece, in the context of the 10th Teaching Conference of the Federation of Educational Caregivers of Greece (OEFE), held in Thessaloniki.

“50 to 70% of students will use Artificial Intelligence (AI) in their work next year, this is something that we believe will change a lot and will be the main topic of discussion at the Teaching Conference in Thessaloniki. Teachers will have to adapt very quickly to the new data of this technology, in essence in the 4th Industrial Revolution. Artificial Intelligence will change everything in our lives,” said Yannis Vafiadakis, president of the Federation of Educational Caregivers of Greece, speaking to the radio station of APE-MPE “Agency 104.9 FM”.

“This is already happening. Already, today as we speak, we put a task to children and they can answer it through Artificial Intelligence. If now the children, the result they get from TN just copy it, that is very bad, but if this is an occasion for them to sit and think, to get ideas and shape it, to make it their own, it is positive” explained Mr. Vafiadakis.

“We cannot,” he added, “resist it, to the change that AI brings, we can only adapt. So good, creative use is something that is sure to bring success. Trying to just copy, firstly it is something that everyone will notice, secondly it will not offer you anything but you will remain stagnant…” emphasized the president of OEFE.

The end of low-skilled work

“These developments are a message to children, an AI will come and replace a human who picks up a phone. The technology of this new era will replace workers in low-skilled jobs while creating high-skilled jobs for highly skilled people, especially in IT and technology. This will be the first big change that will happen. After school studies, children will need very high qualifications to have a job, but a very well-paid one.” emphasized Mr. Vafiadakis, referring to a development that is “very close, within the next few years”.

This will also be the main theme of the OEFE Teaching Conference in Thessalonikiwhere students and professors “who will undertake to bear the burden of the changes and adapt to the new reality” are invited to attend, as Mr. Vafiadakis characteristically mentioned.

“We need to adapt our education as well so as not to miss this great change brought by Artificial Intelligence” explained the president of the Federation of Educational Caregivers of Greece.

“The culture of education, training and retraining for all employees, but also for us in the industry, is a one-way street. The logic of the teacher-authority who will just impart some knowledge, especially when the students will have these AI tools in their hands, is over. It’s a change where if you don’t adapt, you’re “finished” and this also applies to teachers, caregivers who will now have such “armed” students with AI in front of them at their desks” concluded Mr. Vafiadakis.