Greetings, fellow educators!
On my mind this week was the pleasing tone of mild distress that could only mean one thing: learning was happening.
The context was the transcript of an interaction between an anonymous member of the air breathing public and an AI “Virtual Guide” I had created to answer questions about the Episcopal Church. The air breather came into the conversation hot with “Is the Episcopal Church ‘woke?’” Right away I knew I was in for a treat. The AI Guide, which we call “Cathy,” calmly and rationally responded to this and many other queries such as “Why do Episcopalians hate conservatives so much?,” and “Does the episcopal church support taxation and redistribution of wealth?”
I sipped my coffee sweetened with schadenfreude as “Cathy,” who has been trained on more than 10,000,000 characters of text including hundreds of sermons, books, and official policy statements, adroitly answered the air breather’s provocations. She brought the receipts: quoting from the Prayer Book and linking to articles.
I could sense the interlocutor’s growing frustration as Cathy kept giving complex and nuanced answers. He quipped “Why do you use complexity as a cover for taking a stand?” Cathy’s response concluded with, “The Episcopal Church's recognition of complexity is not a cover for avoiding a stand but a reflection of its commitment to thoughtful, informed, and compassionate advocacy. The Church's actions and statements are guided by principles of justice, peace, and reconciliation, with the aim of promoting lasting peace and healing for all people involved. If you have further questions or need support, I encourage you to reach out to your local clergy for guidance and assistance.”
Mic drop.
As satisfying as that was to read, what really made my day was when I could sense that learning was happening. At one point in the conversation the air breather challenged “Cathy” to defend the Church’s position on climate change. He asked Cathy what evidence exists for climate change and she provided it. When he tried to debate it, she replied rationally and accurately with statistics about atmospheric carbon dioxide and some stuff about Carbon isotopes that I definitely didn’t learn in seminary.
And I realized that this person was inhabiting the “Zone of Proximal Development”--the space where understanding emerges from challenge. His discomfort was evidence that old ideas were being confronted and overturned. He didn’t run away, he stayed in the zone. He kept asking and Cathy kept answering. Cathy was teaching.
So, dear friends, I realize there is a lot of skepticism about AI’s ability to teach. But I hope you are encouraged to hear this story of how technology can create educational encounters even among the most unlikely of dialog partners. Open mindedness and a healthy curiosity will see us through this era of change and disruption.
Tay Moss
CHURCHx / Innovative Ministry Centre / TUCC
Thanks for challenging us to learn from and use AI constructively. I can't wait to read your full chapter on this topic.