How to Ethically use AI in Your Personal Development
Why Ethical AI Use Matters For Your Development
The power of AI is proving to be vast, as is the attraction. It’s convenient and quick and can be really useful in helping us view things from a different perspective.
But it is also addictive, and in the world of personal development it poses a risk to our learners. If used in excess, then AI becomes a learning by-pass, where you lose the opportunity to think and apply the knowledge that you have gained from the development.
The risk being that it creates an environment of non-thinking and you effectively not only negate the learning but lose the ability to analyse, create critical thinking skills, practice personal reflection and process learning.
Learning how to ethically use AI in your development is key to sustaining your learning, and when used right it can help accelerate your learning.
The AI Trap – When Good Tools Go Wrong
AI is not perfect. It is a product of what is put into the system.
Often we find that people think AI produces factual information, where people blindly trust the content generated. Whilst AI is quick and getter better by the day, it is important to remember the shared responsibility in the work being generated.
It is therefore important when using AI to support your learning that you develop the additional skill of discernment.
The Cambridge dictionary definition of discernment being – the ability to judge people and things well.
At Jewel we encourage learners to use AI to help them brainstorm ideas and create sources that are used to research in detail to enhance their knowledge and learning.
If we can use AI as a tool rather than a result generator, and study the output, assess it, get curious with the details and check it, then it becomes a learning tool rather than a learning shortcut.
No more copy and paste answers or trying to sound clever.
Instead discovering your ability to analyse and discuss a subject area. Processes which embed the learning, making it real and therefore developing you.
How Can You Use AI To Enhance Your Learning
AI is the tool that supports reflection.
Think about reading a play verses acting one out. When you use AI to generate the answers it can be likened to reading a play. When you use AI to have a conversation, build up understanding and support reflection of learning, it can be linked to acting out the play.
As soon as you assume the role of participant in the learning process you begin to embed the learning.
AI can help with:
- Idea generation
- Scenario exploring
- Clarifying concepts & theories
- Generating sources the research further
AI is the support act, not the main character!
Referencing Best Practice For AI Use
When you think about using AI for assignments, the same rules apply as when using other third-party sources of information. The majority of your answers should be in your own words and the use of AI should be referenced.
We recommend listing the following:
- AI tool used
- Question prompt
- Date accessed
The Power Of Human Interaction In Learning
The Personal Development Magnifier
Before we begin, in full transparency, we fully admit our bias. We love face to face learning – virtual and in person. There is nothing like the environment that real time learning creates.
And the results … at times exponential.
Why?
Because AI cannot replace human interaction. The feeling of support and encouragement, or enthusiasm and empathy that comes from fellow learners and trainers.
The subtle physical cues that AI cannot detect, like a hesitation to speak, or the change in facial colour when someone is feeling nervous about a conversation.
And then there is the growth that cannot be measured when carrying out the task in front of an audience.
Experiential learning is so powerful for personal development.
Think of practising a speech or having a difficult conversation. Practising in an empty room verses a room full of fellow learners. No amount of AI can replace that human experience of being witnessed, held accountable and supported by others.
And our favourite of all, and why we love our Open Programmes, is the shared learning. The space where we learn through other people’s experiences. Where one experiential learning example provides reassurance and support to another.
A Pragmatic Approach to AI Use In Personal Development
We aren’t saying to avoid AI as part of your learning, it has its place like acting as a research platform, somewhere to begin. But, when applied to your personal development it is essential that you get the balance right, and thus the learning you need.
After all, AI is a tool of convenience, a shortcut that cannot replace the human connection that experience and expert advice brings.
We hope that this blog has helped you rethink how you use AI to learn for the better.
Full disclosure – this blog was generated with the support of AI. Ideas were gathered and refined but the voice, messaging and intent is all Jewel.