AI Cannot Replace Education: A Call for Traditional Learning

The increasing reliance on artificial intelligence in education is a cause for concern, particularly in vocational training, according to a reader's opinion piece in Helsingin Sanomat. The author argues that while AI can generate essays, it cannot replace the hands-on skills and safety training crucial for professions like surgery or nursing. The piece points to a Yle report where a journalist completed several healthcare courses using only AI, highlighting the reduction in in-person instruction in vocational institutions.

This shift towards less direct teaching has led to a significant increase in students' need for support, with many struggling with fundamental academic skills. The author notes that universities are reporting that students are unable to perform basic tasks like writing essays, which requires information retrieval, reading, and coherent writing abilities. A clear correlation exists between poor reading skills and academic underperformance. Many young people primarily consume short, colloquial, or English-language texts, making the comprehension of formal Finnish texts an overwhelming challenge.

The opinion piece emphasizes that students who are read to at home and whose parents encourage reading Finnish non-fiction fare better in both their studies and life. Conversely, the roughly one-fifth of young people who struggle with reading comprehension risk social exclusion, a consequence the author believes society cannot afford.

While there is talk of increasing in-person instruction, the author insists that practical skills cannot be transmitted telepathically or virtually. The piece concludes by underscoring that guiding individuals to read is a societal responsibility. If students are to master reading and writing understandable Finnish factual texts, they must be guided and required to engage with well-edited Finnish prose. The author reiterates the principle: "The less we demand, the less we get."