A.I. and Wearable Tech to Power the Emerging Education Market

The next phase in our technological growth won’t be based on search algorithms and data points on curious and eager consumers, nor will it be based on household devices spying on us. It will be based in the classroom, where students are assigned to use Google devices, signing in with Google Accounts, using their Google-powered phones (or iPhones loaded with Google software) while trying to avoid the class instruction.

This isn’t a, “hook ’em while they’re young,” type of marketing plan — it’s much deeper than that. It’s about understanding how a learner learns, how they can be influenced, or “encouraged”, and how others can capitalize on that. After all, what we learn in life comes to shape who we truly are.

Data-driven education

The more data one can garner from a learner, the more personalized and effective teaching approaches can be offered to a student.

Consider the technology and resources Google currently has at its disposal. They’re developing quantum computers able of handling mindboggling amounts of data, and they’re racing to capitalize on the use of AI. Their devices (Chromebooks) and software platforms (Google Classroom) allow for a slew of interactive learning applications (through API) not to mention their office suite of products that contain keystroke by keystroke recordings of questions being answered in class, assignment sheets being filled in, teacher’s comments, revisions, and grades. Chromebooks can log how long you spend on an assignment, what engages a student, what they succeed at, what challenges, what time they tend to do homework, their writing style, and countless more data points. And Google can follow you, for a long time.

While I have to admit that Google’s privacy settings appear to somewhat protect student’s data, and school Google accounts tend to disappear after the student leaves secondary school, a company like Google can easily link new and personal accounts to a user based on names used in contact information, IP addresses, and so forth. The company most effectively indexes every page of the internet in the world — keeping tabs on users learning throughout their life likely requires a simple algorithm in comparison. Google can also track data through integrated apps, both to a student’s Chromebook, through associated website app usage (login with Google), or through apps managed through Google Classroom’s learning management system.

Photo by Gijs Coolen on Unsplash

The acquisition of Fitbit by Alphabet is one to watch in this regard. I believe wearable tech will be commonplace in education. Imagine being able to correlate health data with academic achievement, from sleep schedules, to pulse rates, and perhaps dietary information. Additional wearable devices could be instituted, from brain wave monitoring (more below) to Google Glass type of technology that better tracks eye engagement and reading patterns.

Now, I’m not saying this is imminent — I’m saying the thought has crossed someone’s mind. If it has, the implications could create competition, perhaps education warfare, across the planet.

The concept should not be taken as far-fetched. China, a country that currently uses sophisticated face-detection surveillance equipment to apply a dystopian like “social credit” score to each of its citizens, is already on setting its sets on dominating the new world of education.

If you were to find out that China was creating an advanced education system capable of identifying and teaching students (even nudging them in certain directions through a form of educational brainwashing) to better serve their nation in war, to develop communication technologies, to solve the climate crisis, or to create more effective propaganda tools, would you be concerned?

How would they do that?

First, they’d get inside the minds of their students through EEG headbands, and understand what truly engages them in terms of content and instruction.

In order to get the best sense of in-class engagement, they could examine facial responses to class instruction over years, see if certain diets (school meal programs) correlate with more success, find out the best time to engage a student during the day, and tailor instruction to each student through an AI program that’s keeping track of every student’s progress.

Then, after examining the data set from their nation’s students they could identify how and where each student could best serve their country. Reading suggestions that are highly probable to engage students based on their learning history could be assigned. If you’re looking for your next military general, assign texts that engage students that fit the criteria. If the system finds students this new “authority”, the system may assign content designed to convince them otherwise, or, send them to “re-education camps” in remote parts of the country until they truly become patriotic.

The notions aren’t sci-fi or from a dystopian novel. EEG headbands are being used in Chinese classrooms, along with the above mentioned AI programs, and sadly, the cold war era (or worse) intermit camps in China already hold 1.5 million Chinese citizens who are deemed “a threat” to China.

Imagine the efficiency of Chinese education if they succeed in integrating tech into the school system. Imagine the inefficiency of other world powers who don’t have a strategy, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, who currently struggle with successfully instituted a public education system and seemingly rely on privately funded schooling and elite post-secondary institutions to provide their leaders for tomorrow.

This is where Google can step in. They’re starting to take over the classroom market share in North America. They’re starting to gather data on millions of students. In a truly capitalistic sense, they could (or be forced to) turn over this data to governments and education ministries, working with them to ensure that each institution’s curriculum is working optimally for the nation. And, if that sounds anti-democratic, the fact is that education is publicly funded because it’s intention is to best serve the nation. That’s why it is (or should be) a political issue.

Of course, this could all go in numerous directions.

The data involved in individual student’s institutional learning could, in fact, become the most valuable commodity on the planet. Of course, the value of data is only based on how one can exploit and prosper off said data. The examples are endless. And, considering that education is widely a publicly operated and funded endeavor, what nations can do with the data can be profound, while at the same time a little bit scary:

Identify students best equipped to tackle issues like climate change, migration, water shortages, and pollution

Integrate reading material into the curriculum that is positioned to persuade students deemed persuadable, to push government party agendas

Determine the healthiest lifestyle for a certain individual and the most effective time to tackle certain subjects and academic work

As mentioned above, identify those best suited as instruments of war, and present material to them that heightens their desire to engage in war

Identify talents that students possess that fills new gaps and needs in an increasingly automated and shifting job market

Education has evolved throughout the decades, however, it changes have been reactionary to emerging job markets. Technology can make education proactive, a tool necessary to more effectively nudge markets and society in one direction or another. Of course, that direction could be a point of contention for many, and those in control of it face major ethical challenges.

To borrow a line from Google, this whole educational concept would be extremely beneficial to society, so as long as those in control, “Don’t be evil.”