David Card: Brazil should focus on mathematics in high school – 02/24/2024 – Seminars Folha

It is still too early to say what the impacts of artificial intelligence will be on careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem). This is what Canadian David Card, 68, says, professor of economics at the University of California at Berkeley, in the United States, and winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2021.

The AI ​​would be like “an extremely bright five-year-old child” who is limited to making very complex imitations. “So if all you ask of her is to retain and restate facts in other ways, she’s pretty good.”

In Brazil, the focus should be on increasing the teaching of mathematics and statistics at secondary level, according to Card. And AI can help in this pedagogical process. He points out that the advancement of technology demands more and more specialized scientists, trained in data and computer sciences.

Card was awarded “for his contributions to the labor economy”, analyzing the effects of the minimum wage, immigration and education on employment.

Some economists argue that AI threatens Stem careers far more than those that require more empathetic and creative skills. Mr. Do you agree?
It’s possible, but we’re still beginning to understand it. Many advances in AI will presumably imply a reduced need for programmers and analysts. But also from professionals in artistic fields, because AI can produce simple and beautiful illustrations. I think it’s a little uncertain to say exactly where these effects will be felt.

Is it uncertain given the current level of AI?
Yes, we are just getting started. When the internet came along, it took a long time for us to understand [seus efeitos]. We’re still debating this. I’m not sure we’ll ever fully understand what the trends will be [da IA].

What demands will the advancement of AI place on Stem careers?
There is a huge demand for very specialized scientists, people who have a strong background in computer science and machine learning models, but in many areas it is still not so clear.

Logistics is an example. Perhaps [a contribuição da IA para a logística] has already reached its peak, perhaps it will continue to develop so that some jobs will be replaced by it. But I’m not sure that AI is really good for creative demands.

What AI does, especially in large language models, is imitate. He is an extremely bright five-year-old child. She can reproduce and make complete sentences and paragraphs. But what it’s doing is essentially creating complicated copies. So if all you ask of her is to retain and restate facts in other ways, she’s pretty good.

How should university curricula adapt to the advancement of AI?
I don’t know how it works in Brazil. In the US, the last thing we introduced was data science and it turned out to be a very good choice. This is creating a number of students in many universities with some training in the area. And these people are highly sought after.

It’s a kind of “light version” of data scientists. They understand all the details of coding, algorithm design, machine learning, how to organize data and use common software. Many social science students take some data science courses and are more in demand.

Many expectations with AI concern its potential for innovation, which is also connected to empathetic skills, more associated with the humanities and social sciences. How can these areas contribute to Stem careers, and vice versa?
At the universities I know, the humanities are in trouble, because there has been a decline in enrollment for a long time and now most universities are trying to encourage students to study the humanities. But many students are saying, “I can’t get a job with a humanities degree.”

What about social sciences specifically? Is there potential in this dialogue?

[O curso de] Economy is doing well in this. At Berkeley, many students major in economics and data or computer science. I think economics is more quantitative these days and pairs well with data and computer science.

In the past, economics was particularly theoretical, but not anymore. Now it’s quite empirical, people do a lot of statistical analysis, of causality. Many doctors [em economia] work in the technology sector. There are also people from other social sciences, but I think they are not adapting as quickly.

Can these interconnections between Stem areas and social sciences be good for countries’ economies?
Each country has its strengths. In the United States, I believe it is technological innovation. Elite universities do a good job of training. There are opportunities for most people. In other countries, it is less clear where this is headed. A lot of innovation comes from engineering. Getting everyone to do a little more math and statistics in high school would be good.

In contexts with profound social, economic and educational inequalities, such as Brazil, what is the potential of Stem careers to promote social and economic development?
I don’t have an opinion on this. Ultimately, only a small portion of the Brazilian population accesses universities. Whatever will improve your productivity will have to be very basic, at the mid-level. Maybe better technical training. For most countries, it is important to think about what you can obtain at secondary and technical education, not necessarily at university level.

What are the potentials that AI presents for Brazil?
It may help with teaching and developing mathematical skills. There’s a lot of research on this now. An AI machine can interact with another computer and display a three-dimensional diagram, so you can see how it works and interpret it. I assume that this way AI will be useful in education.

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David Card, 68
Born in Canada, he is a professor of economics at the University of California at Berkeley. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2021 “for his empirical contributions to labor economics”