Brain wave tracker
China's Establishment as a global artificial intelligence
Teachers at this primary school in China possess the ability to accurately identify when a student is not paying attention. They achieve this through the use of headbands that measure each student's concentration level. This information is then transmitted directly to the teacher's computer and to the parents.
China has ambitious plans to establish itself as a global leader in artificial intelligence. The country has implemented a cashless economy, where facial recognition technology enables people to make purchases.
Surveillance cameras equipped with facial recognition assist law enforcement in monitoring the population. Meanwhile, certain schools offer a glimpse into the future of high-tech education in China. Classrooms are equipped with robots that assess students' health and engagement levels. Students wear uniforms embedded with chips that track their whereabouts. There are even surveillance cameras that monitor how frequently students check their phones or exhibit signs of drowsiness during class. These gadgets have raised concerns among Chinese citizens. Nevertheless, schools claim that obtaining parental consent to enroll their children in one of the world's largest AI education experiments was not difficult. The program aims to enhance students' academic performance while also providing valuable data for powerful algorithms. The government has invested billions of dollars into this project, fostering collaboration between tech giants, startups, and educational institutions. Our team was granted exclusive access to a primary school located a few hours outside of Shanghai to observe firsthand how AI technology is utilized in the classroom. For the fifth-grade students, the day commences with the usage of a brain wave sensing device. Following this, the students engage in meditation exercises. This Chinese-made device consists of three electrodes, two placed behind the ears and one on the forehead. These sensors detect electrical signals emitted by neurons in the brain. The neural data is then promptly transmitted to the teacher's computer, allowing the teacher to quickly discern which students are paying attention and which are not while they work on math problems.
A report is generated, providing a detailed account of the class's level of attentiveness, including each student's concentration level at 10-minute intervals. This report is then shared with parents via a group chat. Although the reports are comprehensive, the actual effectiveness and specific metrics measured by these devices remain somewhat uncertain. In order to investigate whether the headbands can genuinely gauge concentration, one of our reporters tested the device.
This technology is relatively new, with limited research to support its efficacy. Theodore Zanto, a neural scientist at the University of California San Francisco, expressed surprise at the utilization of electroencephalography (EEG) in classrooms, as it is typically employed by doctors in medical facilities and laboratories. Zanto explains that EEG is highly susceptible to artifacts, meaning that factors such as itchiness or slight restlessness, as well as improper setup leading to poor electrode contact, can affect the accuracy of the signals. Despite the potential for false readings, teachers claim that the headbands have instilled discipline in students. They assert that students now exhibit improved attentiveness, leading to increased studying and higher academic scores. However, not all students share the same level of enthusiasm. One fifth-grade student, caught dozing off in class, revealed that his parents punish him for receiving low attention scores. This type of data adds a new dimension of pressure for students. The companies we interviewed mentioned that the data collected may be used for government-funded research projects. Some parents we spoke to were uncertain about where the data ends up, although they appeared to be unconcerned. Zanto suggests that there is likely a lack of privacy protection in place. The classroom environment, where individual student assessments are conducted, does not lend itself to a nuanced analysis. Experts and citizens alike are issuing warnings regarding various aspects of China's extensive push into artificial intelligence. These classrooms serve as laboratories for future generations, and while these new tools may potentially aid the academic performance of around 200 million students, the true outcomes of this endeavor will only become apparent once they reach adulthood.
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