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Month: January 2018

Education with a Purpose: A New Approach To Teach STEM

After years of denial, we are finally acknowledging that we have a problem with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education in this country. It is not an issue of access or supply of opportunities but one of perception: most students think it is simply too hard. That is unfortunate since research shows that students that pursue STEM degrees are more employable and earn more than their non-STEM counter parts. Yet, only a third of college students currently pursue these degrees.

I can speak from experience. When finishing high school, I really enjoyed Physics and thought that I would major in it in college. After one college-level Physics class, I realized quickly that pursuing it would be a difficult path. Social sciences seemed an easier and a more natural fit. I eventually declared my major in Political Science staying away from science and math as much as I could in my liberal arts degree. Years later, I would regret this decision as my career took a decidedly more technical path. I certainly could have used some of those math and science classes.

While difficulty is definitely a factor, now that I reflect on it, the issue was deeper than that. What drew me to the social sciences was that they told me stories about human struggle, tragedy and triumph. In my degree, I got to learn the history of how nations were formed, regimes were taken down and societies changed. That was something I could eat it up. While I wanted to prepare for a career, to me education was about expanding my horizons and discovering new worlds. STEM subjects, while fascinating in their own right, lacked this human connection that I found in the social sciences.

Later in my career, I was drawn to data science because of what it could do. I could take data and create insights that were previously hidden. In some instances, I could even “predict” something before it happened. That got me hooked and it is how I learned on the job and through professional training to become a data scientist. As I started reflecting on the potential of the field I was working it, I finally caught that human connection that I was missing in college. I realized that data science was not just about reams of data being processed through algorithms but that it could literally change people lives. Consider the example where algorithms are being used to predict who is most likely to commit suicide. In this case, data science is literally saving lives.

I understand that my story is one data point but I believe there is a theme embedded in it that can be explored. Maybe the issue is not just that it is hard but that often times STEM education is disconnected from a higher purpose. There are some of us who will study science for its own sake. Others are naturally fascinated by how things work and want to learn to make things. Yet, there is a whole group of students that would pursue STEM subjects if educational programs helped them make the connection with a humanitarian purpose.

After being studying a social science and then becoming a technology worker, I realized a curious paradox. The social sciences are deeply concerned about social problems. They go through great lengths to describe causes, factors and catalysts that worsen or alleviate them. Yet, technology, this cold application of science, has shown the greatest potential for actually solving them. Just consider the potential of mobile phones in Sub-Saharan Africa. While living in places that lack electricity and sanitation, many in these countries can afford a mobile phone. This technology along with micro-finance are empowering the poor by allowing them to make financial transactions and create businesses, hence forging a way out of poverty.

What is missing is the connection between purpose and know-how. Getting people that care deeply about their communities and teaching them technical skills to do something about it – doing technology with a humanitarian purpose. People with a passion to serve and the technical know-how to leverage emerging technologies can change the world in ways not previously seen. Unfortunately, most of technological innovation happens in for-profit institutions that are more interested in meeting a quarterly goal for stockholders than making a positive impact in the communities that surround them.

Hence, I want to propose a STEM education with a telos. Telos is a Greek word that can be roughly translated as an “end goal.” Yet, it is not a goal like our new year’s resolution. Instead, it is a long term, guiding ideal that directs everything we do. It is akin to a higher purpose.

What if STEM education was not just about teaching technical skills and but actually connecting them to a humanitarian purpose? In other word, teaching student not just the “how” but also the “why”.  Such education would raise a tech-literate generation that was less concerned about acquiring the latest gadgets and more about using technology to enhance human flourishing. It would not only expand STEM knowledge to under-represented groups but also unleash future innovation for the common good.

Automated Research: How AI Will Speed Up Scientific Discovery

The potential of AI is boundless. Currently, there is a lot of buzz around how it will change industries like transportation, entertainment and healthcare. Less known but even more revolutionary is how AI could change science itself. In a previous blog, I speculated about the impact of AI on academic research through text mining. The implications of  automated research described here are even more far-reaching.

Recently, I came upon an article in Aeon that described exactly that. In it, biologist Ahmed Alkhateeb eloquently makes his argument in the excerpt below:

Human minds simply cannot reconstruct highly complex natural phenomena efficiently enough in the age of big data. A modern Baconian method that incorporates reductionist ideas through data-mining, but then analyses this information through inductive computational models, could transform our understanding of the natural world. Such an approach would enable us to generate novel hypotheses that have higher chances of turning out to be true, to test those hypotheses, and to fill gaps in our knowledge.

As a good academic, the author says a lot with a few words in the paragraph above. Let me unpack his statement a bit.

His first point is that in the age of big data, individual human minds are incapable of effectively analyzing, processing and making meaning of all the information available. There was a time where all the knowledge about a discipline was in books that could be read or at least summarized by one person. Furthermore, traditional ways of doing research whether through a lab experimentation, sampling, controlling for externalities, testing hypothesis take a long time and only give a narrow view of reality. Hence, in a time where big data is available, such approach will not be sufficient to harness all the knowledge that could be discovered.

His second point is to suggest a new approach that incorporates Artificial Intelligence through pattern seeking algorithms that can effectively and efficiently mine data. The Baconian method simply means the approach of discovering knowledge through disciplined collection and analysis of observations. He proposes an algorithmic approach that would mine data, come up with hypothesis through computer models then collect new data to test those hypotheses. Furthermore, this process would not be limited to an individual but would draw from the knowledge of a vast scientific community. In short, he proposes including AI in every step of scientific research as a way to improve quality and accuracy. The idea is that an algorithmic approach would produce better hypotheses and also test them more efficiently than humans.

As the author concedes, current algorithms and approaches are not fully adequate for the task. While AI can already mine numeric data well, text mining is more of a recent development. Computers think in numbers so to get them to make sense of text requires time-consuming processes to translate text into numeric values. Relevant to this topic, the Washington Post just put out an article about how computers have now, for the first time beat human performance in a reading and comprehension test. This is an important step if we want to see AI more involved in scientific research and discovery.

How will automated research impact our world?

The promise of AI-assisted scientific discovery is remarkable. It could lead to the cure of diseases, the discovery of new energy sources and unprecedented breakthroughs in technology. Another outcome would be the democratization of scientific research. As research gets automated, it becomes easier for others to do it just like Windows has made the computer accessible to people that do not code.

In spite of all this potential, such development should cause us to pause for reflection. It is impressive how much of our mental capacities are being outsourced to machines. How comfortable are we with this inevitable meshing of bodies and electronics? Who will lead, fund and direct the automated research? Will it lead to enriching corporations or improving quality of life for all? I disagree with the author’s statement that an automated research would make science “limitlessly free.” Even as machines are doing the work, humans are still controlling the direction and scope of the research. As we ship more human activity to machines, ensuring they reflect our ethical standards remains a human mandate.

Shifting Towards Education: A New Direction for 2018

Happy new year, everybody!

After a hiatus for the holiday season, I am now back to blogging with a renewed focus. For those of you who follow this blog or know me personally, last year was an encouraging beginning as I posted here my musings on the intersection between Theology and Artificial Intelligence. Above all, I’ve been encouraged by the conversation some of the posts have started.

After some reflection over the hiatus, I decided to shift the focus of the blog. As you may know, there are not a lot of voices speaking on this field. So the opportunities for making a contribution are vast. Moreover, I don’t see the topic of AI becoming less important in the coming years. The question I asked myself was how could I best contribute considering my skills, passion and knowledge. Promoting discussion on the topic was a good start but I was not satisfied in just being a thoughtful observer. The best insights often come from those who are immersed in practicing the field they are discussing.

Even as I type there are hundreds of AI startups starting to shape the future we’ll live in. There is a growing group of academics, consultants and enthusiasts speculating about what that would look like. Moreover, there are thousands of Data Scientists currently shaping the future of existing organizations building AI applications that will transform these enterprises for years to come. Eventually, politicians will catch up and start discussing policy and laws to regulate how AI is used.

While all this is happening, I think about my children. Will they have the tools they need to navigate this AI future? Will they be ready not only to survive but also thrive in this uncertain future?

When I look at the educational system they are in, it is clearly not up to the task. While I appreciate the wonderful work teachers do daily all over the world, the problem is systemic. The Western educational system was built in the last century to raise industrial workers. The economy required workers to learn a fixed trade that would last them through their lifetime.  Moreover, the academic system is always preparing students for the next level of education. Regardless of whether they pursue a job or continue their studies, a high school degree prepares the student for college, which prepares them for Masters’ work which, except for professional degrees, prepare them for pursuing PhDs. Hence, students are conditioned to excel within the academic “bubble” and have little interaction with the real world of jobs, leadership and service. Aside from a few exceptions, students are expected to figure out on their own how to apply the knowledge they learn into real workplace scenarios. While the system forces students to study separate disciplines, life is lived in multi-disciplinary spaces.

Staying out of the politically-charged discussion of “how to save our schools”, I rather work on how to offer something that will build on what the schools already offer. In my view, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education continues to be a challenge even as we have made progress in the past years. The concern I have with the current focus is that it separates these disciplines from humanities. In this way, students are taught only the “how” but rarely the “why” of STEM. This approach only perpetuates an uncritical consumerist relationship with technology, where we never stop to ask why are they being created in the first place and how they benefit humanity. Therefore the challenge is to engage young minds critically with STEM early on, empowering them to become creators with rather than consumers of technology.

While I can write about this frequently on the blog, being a detached analyst is not enough. That is why I am planning to develop actual learning experiences that address this gap. I am currently connecting with partners “glocally” to make that a reality. It will have both a classroom component as well as an online component. Stay tuned for more details.

How will that look like in aitheology.com?

The blog will flow from this journey of becoming an education entrepreneur. In this way, it serves as a platform for reflection, discussion, idea exchange and hopefully challenging some of you to join in this new endeavor. While I will continue to explore the themes of AI and theology, there will be an educational focus both in the topics discussed as well as in the way they are conveyed.

I also recognize that in our age, writing is not the most effective way to spread ideas and engage in conversation. Towards that end, I plan to add podcast in the near future so you can interact with AI theology in new ways. Finally, there will be plenty of opportunities for you to get involved in emerging projects.

I am excited for what this New Year will bring to us. I pray for wisdom and guidance in this new phase and I ask you to pray with me as well (if you are not religious, sending good thoughts would do).