The Edge: The 'wisdom' of AI

What the name of an AI chatbot is trying to communicate. ADVERTISEMENT [The Edge Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. I’m Scott Carlson, a senior writer at The Chronicle covering where higher education is headed. This week I reflect on my recent story about the use of artificial intelligence in higher ed, and what the name change of an AI chatbot is trying to communicate. ADVERTISEMENT SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to essential news, analysis, and advice. Knowledge vs. wisdom In this week’s Chronicle, I wrote [a story]( about AI in admissions recruitment, academic advising, and career counseling, and its potential to answer students’ rote questions, thus freeing staff members to offer a human touch in dealing with students. My story required a slight tweak after it hit print: Apparently, since the time I tried CollegeVine’s AI chatbot “Ivy” — which helps students pick institutions, learn about majors, and explore careers — the technology company decided to re-brand its tool with a new name, “Sage.” “While both names evoke images of greenery, ‘Sage’ also evokes a sense of wisdom, knowledge, and good judgment,” the company said in a press release. “The name ‘Sage’ better reflects our AI counselor’s capabilities, as well as the ambitions of our students.” The use of the word “wisdom” in this context really struck me. AI may become a great tool to assist students with some of the basic questions about their college careers, but it seems like more than a stretch to say that a chatbot is “wise.” Having wisdom is a state difficult to achieve by most humans, and it’s often fleeting — even people who have achieved some level of wisdom can feel like fools now and again. As most people define it, wisdom isn’t simply an accumulation of knowledge. It emerges from the combination of knowledge, experience, reflection, and [usually]( [profound]( failure. And while a chatbot always has an answer for everything (valid or not), the wise person is often marked by a reluctance to make a proclamation or a judgment about an issue at hand — perhaps because that wise person understands that there are few true “right answers.” So many of the important decisions we make day-to-day have to account for the changing dynamics of life — and that is more the case than ever today, given the pace of the world we live in. “Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom,” Hermann Hesse wrote in Siddhartha. “One can find it, live it, be fortified by it, do wonders through it, but one cannot communicate and teach it.” Confusion between knowledge and wisdom is not confined to the AI age, but one has to wonder if AI will start to blur those lines even more. The acquisition of knowledge is already conceived of in intellectually impoverished ways. Through high-stakes testing and a “drill and kill” emphasis in elementary-through-high-school classrooms, we’ve trained a whole generation of college students to focus on getting the “right” answer and to see the educational experience as [transactional](. Now, AI provides an easy way to jump through the hoops that schools and colleges set up to teach and assess knowledge. You see it in students using AI to [get the right answers]( on tests or to [write term papers]( bypassing the work that is ostensibly designed to help embed some of the knowledge that leads to wisdom. (How [widespread]( AI-related [cheating]( is [remains]( a matter of debate.) Writing, in particular, is a very difficult task for many people, and AI promises to ease the burden of having to do it. But anyone who seriously engages in writing understands that it’s a process of uncovering your own views and commitments — you’re testing and validating your thoughts and ideas as you start to define them through language, leading to real discovery and learning. Widespread AI use may also reduce the [opportunities for failure]( and the growth that comes with it — at least in the artificial environment of the college-application process or the classroom. Inside Higher Ed recently [wrote]( about two Stanford University students who are building an AI model trained on application essays from highly selective institutions, helping students craft a personal statement that will get them into an Ivy-plus institution. “What we heard super consistently with college applications was that students had never written an essay like that before,” one of the student entrepreneurs said. “It was big and intimidating and it sets the trajectory for the rest of your life, so we heard a lot of stress over that — and we thought we could build something to help.” When I was 18, I didn’t get into any of the colleges I applied to — a huge shakeup that prompted me to stop coasting on my wits and buckle down on the work, which eventually led to self-discovery, success, and maybe eventually a little wisdom. Wise people come to understand that one’s self-worth is not determined by a college-acceptance letter but by persisting at important and meaningful work every day, for years. It’s about “[doing hard things]( and accepting discomfort. Success is not a hoop, but a journey. Is a chatbot going to teach you these things? In an AI-powered education future, with ubiquitous facts and “knowledge,” the role of humans teaching younger humans how to develop wisdom may emerge as the most important role possible. Join me at the Chronicle Festival tomorrow I’m part of The Chronicle’s annual ideas festival, “The Road Ahead to 2035,” which takes place online from September 10 to 12. My contribution involves a [conversation]( with Mike Rowe, a foundation leader, TV host, author, and podcaster. Rowe thinks America overemphasizes the four-year degree and devalues community colleges, trade schools, and apprenticeship programs, and he wants to raise up skilled labor. The agenda also includes many other terrific guests, with several of my colleagues as moderators. We hope you’ll join us for some or all of the programs. Registration is free. Sign up [here]( to watch live or later on demand. Got a tip you’d like to share or a question you’d like me to answer? Let me know, at [scott.carlson@chronicle.com](mailto:goldie@chronicle.com). If you have been forwarded this newsletter and would like to see past issues, [find them here](. To receive your own copy, free, register [here](. Follow me on [LinkedIn](. My forthcoming book, [Hacking College: Why the Major Doesn’t Matter — and What Really Does]( (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2025), which I co-authored, is available for pre-order. UPCOMING WORKSHOP [The Chronicle's Women Leading Change Program | September 2024] Join The Chronicle’s Women Leading Change Program this September! This virtual leadership series will provide critical context, creative strategies, and guided exercises that target the professional development areas most important to women at different leadership levels across academe. [Learn more and register today.]( Scott's picks AUSTERITY ACADEMY [Academic-Program Cuts Piled Up This Summer. Here’s a Rundown.]( By Amanda Friedman [STORY IMAGE]( Leaders at regional public colleges say the decisions were painful but necessary. Professors fear there will be larger costs. POLICY RESET [College for All? Not Anymore.]( By Eric Kelderman [STORY IMAGE]( Democrats have drastically changed their tune on the necessity of a bachelor’s degree. INVESTIGATION [How One University’s Cost Cutting Became Mired in Confusion and Distrust]( By Erin Gretzinger and David Jesse [STORY IMAGE]( The data-driven process that consultants purport to offer at places like the U. of North Carolina at Greensboro can be frustratingly subjective, a Chronicle and Assembly investigation finds. CAREER RESOURCES [Finding a New Job] [Read the September collection]( for advice on crafting your CV. Learn what to include on your CV, how to tailor it for faculty jobs, how to write a cover letter, and more! ADVERTISEMENT FROM THE CHRONICLE STORE [Campus Housing for Tomorrow]( [Campus Housing for Tomorrow]( Student housing has undergone substantial shifts in recent years, due to inflation, the high cost of building, and drops in enrollment. [Order this report]( for insights on how to navigate these challenges and meet students’ evolving needs. 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