When Computers Will Replace Teachers and Counsellors: Heaven and Hell Scenarios

摘要

The paper starts by describing and analysing some the recent dramatic developments in Virtual Reality, Artificial Intelligence and connected technological areas. It then extrapolates from these developments a prediction: that as machines are getting so intelligent and human-like, it is very probable that, over the next two decades, sophisticated Smart Assistances (SA) will gradually "conquer" many of, what up until now was considered to be "necessarily" human functions of teaching. Furthermore, such "Educational SAs" will be able to understand humans - "read" their emotions and thoughts and guide or control them - to extents that human have never had. It ends by arguing that these developments may have positive, as well as negative consequences, and that ensuring a positive outcome demands requires consorted macro-strategic efforts by researchers, decision makers and developers.