EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN EDUCATION: INTELLIGENCE AUGMENTATION WITH AI FOR ATHLETES IN TEAM SPORTS
M. Mann
Artificial Intelligence is a rapidly developing tool for use in education. Students are clearly using AI to fabricate assignments and imitate the acquisition and internalization of knowledge. However, this deployment of assimilating knowledge en masse without either interacting with the content consisting of online material, or interpreting and classifying that material for future use is unfortunate. But, it is also the product of most AI design. According to Woodruff, designing AI without human consideration, or true interaction, can, over time, lead to: Deskilling, Disconnecting, Disinformation, and Dehumanization (Woodruff, A. 2023) When AI is being deployed without consideration for its impact on human cognition, this outcome is not ideal for people, either in the workplace, or in the case of physical education, performance in a team sport. The problem, generally speaking, is that goal of artificial intelligence (AI) has primarily been to match or surpass people's performance, subjugating humans are more observers than participants, as consumers rather than producers of knowledge. For an important paradigm shift to occur, Instead of considering AI as such, there is the need to explore and apply an alternative focus in AI deployment. This theme has been referred to as Intelligence Augmentation, where the goal is to optimize human performance and wellbeing with the use of AI. One successful pedagogical framework for doing so relies upon developing an AI that assists humans towards greater understanding by using the Socratic questioning method. Results have shown significant improvement in cognition by humans using AI in this manner.
In terms of application in physical education and sport, for student athletes to better understand tactical decision making in their specific sport at their specific level of play, AI systems must frame explanations of ideal tactical sport decision making skills as questions in order to improve human tactical discernment accuracy. Instead of deploying causal AI explanations that do not typical teach using the Socratic questioning method. The model used in this study comes from a research study (Danny, et.al. 2023) entitled, "Don't just tell me, ask me: AI systems that intelligently frame explanations as questions improve human logical discernment accuracy." The model demonstrates an optimization of human decision making in a combined human+AI system rather than by an AI model by itself. This gives hope to the human coach when they consider that AI can support our athletes to become the teammates that we would like them to be. In other words, we would have an AI that can help us support and develop soft skills such as: Motivation, Attitude and Behavior Change, Breadth of Attention, and more effective communication.
A secondary AI Research component of the pilot study used as an introduction for participants to Intelligence Augmentation involved the use of AI Character simulations for developing conflict resolution skills and rehearsing difficult conversations. As any coach will attest, having improved skills in such "off the court" scenarios can only help improve on the court tactical team sport decisions in game play.
At the point of this writing, the results from the study are still being collected, and will be submitted prior to the time of the final paper deadline.
Keywords: AI Education Intelligence Augmentation.