A few days ago a friend of mine (Brian Silverman) posted some very
interesting information on his LinkedIn blog about choosing a major in
college that I should have realized much earlier. One of the points he
brought out was the focus in jobs on communication and the influence of
AI in the workplace. As a general rule I have experienced - not in the
workplace - is that AI is dangerous, it may take over our brains and
bodies, and it will eventually take over the world and we won't need
humans any longer. This really is a conversation in groups where no one
is interested in learning any more - they are infatuated with fear! You
should really read Brian's post for the complete conversation, but until
then, I have published my response below to his remarks. Follow Brian
at:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/absilverman?challengeId=AQE1-8di3bI7twAAAYoDh42QmShfVYr6e8aqb2DRvuWD5D2yfrha82BQYR25wCEKmTRwc2dAsoXmW8mKJoRuMut31iKruo54MQ&submissionId=f962a00a-5b2c-7c17-a5f2-56991f6d833c&challengeSource=AgG0bE2aNX3cJgAAAYoDh9mM45XV4xFTFknDY5tUnh_SK3VVoMHAR8Zz5pnbrug&challegeType=AgH-Nnq0BPATfQAAAYoDh9mP9kV3y5DUQd_6eewlR8I3u2r-1-EWlpc&memberId=AgFf574Gw8CmxwAAAYoDh9mSLgPRVcCaUjCK3rc7ekkOSPI&recognizeDevice=AgHdGXMIYBjRgQAAAYoDh9mV4r9lruYtxJm4ZI-GWAfKbvPiDSAC
Good points made, Brian, about the positive attributes of an English/Liberal Arts degree. In my experience over the past 50 years, I have learned the value of communication - with a caveat - communication occurs when I transmit information to a listener and I can determine that listener has received and has understood what I am transmitting. In many cases, it's a good idea to actually ask the listener to "tell me what I just said in your own words". There have been many instances of misunderstanding that could have been prevented by asking for a listener response - not just "yes, I understand".
In the early days of my higher education, I quickly realized the importance of asking the simple "5 Ws - plus How" questions in order to ask for and receive baseline information. Once I received this initial information I could begin to dig deeper and ask the "What if" questions to stimulate critical thinking - the central focus in exploring literature and in multiple responses from multiple people. I can't over-emphasize how important these responses are in the process of creativity. In many cases, there are no right answers and no wrong answers. This happens on a regular basis because these responses are emotionally generated based on the history of each listener. Another value of these types of answers is the ability to see things from a wide variety of perspectives - many of which we might never have thought of.
When I read your comments on the importance and benefits of an English/Liberal Arts degree I had a "duh" moment for not thinking of this myself (especially after so many years working in communication/English). Thanks for waking me up! I refer to your statement: "The key for young students today, and their future success, will be adaptability. A good liberal arts college education will help open their minds to curiosity, eagerness to learn, and the flexibility to respond to economic and technological changes. I suggested that the best #collegedegree would be English. Writing, understanding, and communicating well is a foundation skill for most professions."
And your reasoning: "Taking a programming class online and learning about AI is possible, but the ability to clearly communicate and write takes time. It will build flexibility for her and other young adults and future professionals."
I like the way your think!
Chuck Hamilton Ph. D.
English Literature, Film Studies, Photography, & Journalism/Graphic Arts
