A future past? Rationalising the formalisation of an ethical objective in teacher preparation today for the machine autonomy of tomorrow

Abstract

Technology has always shadowed human progress, until now. In the recursive dialogues between recognised human needs and the structural properties of technology, humans were always in command and secure to decide what a chosen technology would do and grant. This therefore allowed educational designs to cater for defined technological prerequisites and outcomes. The Internet and an over-abundant data driven reality changed all that. The inception of a requisitioned new class of autonomous and intelligent machines convened under the umbrella of Artificial Intelligence poses new opportunities but also potential risks that we are just becoming aware of. Thus, being at the onset of a new Industrial Revolution which is vague to define, poses challenges on how best to coach and prepare teachers who have to eventually educate their students for the future that rapid technological change has unwittingly made it difficult to predict. This paper therefore brings forth issues and potential directions that may be pursued to prepare teachers with the right attitude and ethical knowhow to embrace change for an AI imbued future that we are still starting to comprehend.