DL 395

Most Big Ideas Have Loud Critics

Welcome to Digitally Literate, issue #395. Your go-to source for insightful content on education, technology, and the digital landscape.

🔖 Key Takeaways

• Openwashing AI: Companies often misuse the term "open source," raising concerns about transparency and equitable access.
• Disruptive Innovation: Jill Lepore critiques the theory, emphasizing the need for rigorous evidence and caution in its application.
• AI Hype Cycle: The rush to embrace AI may be driven more by fear of missing out than by genuine need.

📚 Recent Posts

• Understanding Privilege in Arguments: Principles vs Personal Opinions - Exploring how privilege influences debates and discussions.
• When Desegregation Displaced Black Educators – A Review of ‘Jim Crow’s Pink Slip’ - Reviewing Leslie T. Fenwick’s critical examination of desegregation's impact on Black educators.

🛁 Openwashing AI

The misuse of "open source" by companies like OpenAI has sparked debates about the true meaning of openness. While "open" should mean transparent and accessible, many AI companies use the term loosely to describe products that are free to use but not truly open. Explore more.

Efforts to redefine open source AI, such as guidelines from the Linux Foundation, aim to bring clarity to the concept. However, challenges remain, particularly around the resource-intensive nature of building truly open models. Learn more.

🪟 On The Topic of Open

Open source technologies matter because they enable learning, innovation, and trust. However, when companies obscure key components, they undermine the principles of openness. As users, we must critically evaluate these claims and demand transparency to ensure fair access to technology.

💔 Disruption

Jill Lepore’s critique of disruptive innovation theory highlights its limitations. Without rigorous evidence and reliable methods, this theory often serves as a narrative for the past rather than a reliable model for the future. Read her detailed analysis.

🌀 Being Left Behind

Generative AI has become a "must-have" for companies, but is this driven by genuine innovation or fear of missing out? Christopher Mims reflects on the AI hype cycle and the importance of measured, collective wisdom in navigating technological advancements.

⚡️ A Critical Perspective

Undermine their pompous authority, reject their moral standards, make anarchy and disorder your trademarks.
Cause as much chaos and disruption as possible but don't let them take you ALIVE.
— Sid Vicious

Reflect and Engage

• What does "open source" mean in practice, and how should we evaluate claims of openness? Explore in Open Source AI.
• Is "disruptive innovation" a valuable framework, or is it overhyped? Share your thoughts in Disruptive Innovation in Education.
• How can we navigate the AI hype responsibly? Reflect in AI Ethics.

Thank you for reading Digitally Literate. Stay tuned for more insights and discussions. Connect with me at hello@digitallyliterate.net or explore Newsletter Index for all past issues.