Terry Ito Column Vol.23 Will generative AI love letters be successful?

How should educators, generative AI (artificial intelligence), and students interact and understand this issue? This issue has sparked debate and controversy across Japan. According to the Yomiuri Shimbun, an English teacher at a private junior and senior high school in Tokyo assigned first-year students homework to write a diary in English during last winter break. Several students submitted diaries filled with "excellent, error-free English." The teacher said there's no doubt that generative AI was used. The teacher said the homework was intended to encourage students to develop English grammar and learn English grammar. Students should learn by having their mistakes pointed out, not by simply copying the correct answer provided by the generative AI. The teacher warned that excessive reliance on generative AI could hinder the development of critical thinking and imagination, widening the gap in academic achievement.

When asked, students unashamedly reply, "I leave the reports for required courses I'm not interested in to the basic generation AI," and "I don't want to waste unnecessary time or fail the course by submitting an incomplete report." This is a serious problem, but isn't this an everyday occurrence in society as a whole? Wedding and funeral invitations, letters to teachers and superiors who have helped us, notifications to business partners about new product launches, and the list goes on and on. It's said that 4% of computer users have used it.

The most troublesome thing is writing a love letter to someone you have a crush on, where failure is not an option. This is a crucial moment in life, so relying too much on AI generators is dangerous. The worst case scenario would be if the woman you admire received two identical AI-generated love letters from two different men at the same time. Just imagining her reaction is scary. Furthermore, your rival might find out about your existence and send her an AI letter with false information.

Professor Mutsumi Imai, a cognitive psychologist at Keio University and my mentor at university, said, "If you push generative AI too hard from a young age, you might start to believe that it can efficiently find answers without you having to think for yourself. Generative AI can answer any question, but it often makes mistakes. Unlike humans, it doesn't understand the meaning of words through experience. What's important is to acquire the ability to make judgments through experience." This is true for adults as well. People who only believe information from the internet can baselessly hate society and commit crimes. It's disheartening to see news like this.

First of all, start by writing a love letter to the best of your ability. It's okay if you're not good at it. It doesn't have to be a long sentence. Just list the points you like in bullet points. Give it a try. Speaking of which, a musician I know said he was stuck on writing lyrics, so he was thinking of asking an AI for help. It was supposed to be an anti-establishment song. What's going on in the world?! Let's ask a generative AI!

Terry Ito (director)

Born in Tsukiji, Tokyo in 1949. After attending Waseda Jitsugyo Junior and Senior High School, he graduated from Nihon University's School of Economics.
In March 2023, he completed the Master's program at the Graduate School of Media and Governance at Keio University.
He joined the television production company IVS Television, where he worked on variety shows such as "Tensai Takeshi's Genki ga Deru TV" and "Neruton Benikujidan."
He then went independent and worked on planning and directing a number of television programs, including TV Tokyo's "Asakusabashi Young Clothing Store."
His book "Comedy North Korea" became a bestseller, and he subsequently made numerous media appearances under the name Terry Ito.
In addition to his work as a director, he is also active in a variety of fields as a producer, entertainer, and commentator.
YouTube channelTerry Ito's Comedy Backdrop'
Currently writing a column in LALALA USA
https://lalalausa.com/archives/category/column/terry