Stephen Downes

Philip J. Kerr raises five 'big issues' related to teaching critical literacy for AI, but in my view he is wrong in at least four of them. First, he says, "critical thinking is domain specific." No it's not. Second, he says "critical thinking can only be taught if learners have a disposition to think critically." Also not true; such a disposition, if it exists at all, is a result, not a precondition, of learning to think critically. Third, "a failure to think critically... is not primarily a problem of critical digital literacy." Leaving aside the mixed definitions, yes it is. People who have learned critical thinking aren't as likely to be fooled by disinformation. Fourth, "evidence for any effectiveness in critical digital literacy instruction is in very short supply." Maybe? Not going to check, but I have my doubts. Finally, fifth, "is it even possible to imagine a critically informed and ethical use of Generative AI?" Of course it is.