Mr. Blue Shoes with students with ESL students in Dallas, Texas
I have seen a lot of trends come and go over the last 18 years working with kids and in the education sector. Of course, with social media, all of these things have exploded. New music, new styles, new songs, new everything pretty much.
And now we have Artificial Intelligence. Many people are afraid of it, and I totally understand that perspective. It is scary. But just like many things, it can be used for both good and bad purposes.
I use AI on a daily basis, and it has helped me a tremendous amount, but it hasn’t replaced me. Honestly, I don’t think it ever will. The one thing AI cannot do is feel, and that is the critical part that machine learning can’t seem to contextualize.
I have even experimented with AI to create music, and some of it sounds really great, but the part that’s missing is me.
Educators make a difference. Human connection is critical and is the essential piece that technology will never replace.
It can be a great aid, but it is not a replacement.
This is why my program has withstood the test of time. It provides real, authentic human connection that cannot be replicated.
We all have a distinct ability to connect with other human beings, educators especially. I remember the educators and the seemingly small things they did to help me along that made a lasting impact on my life.
When I play guitar, it still makes an impact. A machine will never be able to replace the nuance associated with being a live performer.
Even today, with all the advancements, especially with AI and music, once a user is made aware that what they are listening to is non-human, it can change their sentiment. I’m not saying it will always be this way, and there are certainly people who are not concerned about it, but at the end of the day, most people value authenticity. We all want people and things to be real.
I’m not afraid of AI. For all that it knows, it actually gets a lot wrong. If you have called the technical support line of any major corporation recently, you probably already know. It just doesn’t seem to understand things that it should.
Even Elon Musk learned this lesson at Tesla. The company initially pushed heavily toward automation while building the Model 3, but Musk eventually admitted they had gone too far. Some of the automation was actually slowing production down, and Tesla had to bring humans back into parts of the process.
Musk summed it up pretty simply: “Humans are underrated.”
So there you have it. Even one of the biggest proponents of technology discovered that sometimes the technology just can’t do the job as well as a human can.
And we need you. Your students need you. Students also need to see live programs, whether it’s Mr. Blue Shoes or another artist or creator.
We are the missing link that no piece of technology will ever be able to replace.
That being said, if you’re looking for a great program, give me a shout! Together we can provide an experience students will never forget.