A kite only flies if it’s tethered: ethics in cyberspace
Radhika Gupta
8th June, 2024: 10 AM on a typical summer vacation morning. The rounds of morning tea were still going on. The languid heat of the day had gradually started intensifying and the tapestry of the sofa on which I was sprawled had already started feeling prickly. The typical Xiaomi ringtone broke my reverie. “Dear customer, your FedEx parcel has not been delivered due to rain….” The voice trailed off before I could process it. My strained brows hadn’t smoothened out when the customer care executive came in on the other side. “Hello ma’am, how may I help you today?” I told him that I hadn’t sent any parcel, but I was repeatedly getting these automated messages from FedEx about its non-delivery. He patiently asked me to hold the line. A split second later, he said that on 3rd June, someone had sent a parcel from Mumbai to Taiwan bearing my name, phone number, and Aadhar number. The contents of the parcel were illegal, so it had been caught by the Mumbai Crime Branch. Apparently, FedEx was trying to help me out. “Have you filled your Aadhar Card details anywhere? In hotels, online portals, or any other website?” he asked in a matter-of-fact tone. My mind was racing backwards at supersonic speed. Did I fill my Aadhar details anywhere? I couldn’t recall. He immediately came to my rescue, offering to help. “Ma’am, if you are comfortable, may I forward your call to the Mumbai Crime Branch? You may lodge your complaint there.”
Something didn’t feel right. Why was he being so benevolent? Did a call centre executive have the authority to transfer a call to the Mumbai Crime Branch? That seemed too far-fetched. Meanwhile, I asked him for details, like the receipt number of the FedEx parcel. He struggled to find an answer, and then went off the line….
What had just happened? I immediately called a friend who worked for a cybercrime NGO. She already knew the entire story, and even more than that. Apparently, this modus operandi was being widely used. If you agree to talk to the Crime Branch, the executive puts you on a Skype call and shows you a setup that can dupe the brightest people into believing that that was indeed the Cybercrime Cell, complete with emblems, uniforms, etc. Such is the attention given to detail and master planning of these dupers!
My teacher-brain beeped – the voice on the other side was that of a youngster. My teacher-heart winced – was this the new generation we were bringing up? As teachers and caregivers, was this the quality we were churning out of our schools? On the one hand, AI (Artificial Intelligence) and technological advancement have taken the education world by storm, and on the other, they are posing serious risks, when misused. The dark side of this progress became evident when individuals exploited technology for unethical uses, thereby highlighting the abject absence of responsible usage and stringent safeguards.
How had AI become the most sought-after career option amongst students?
We proudly teach our students the use of AI tools and hold competitions for them to show off their technological prowess. Engineering enthusiasts slog themselves crazy, starting their preparations as early as grade VI and clamour to get AI as their stream of study, which is one of the most popular choices among the JEE top rankers. As of the latest data, there are around 59,917 seats available across various institutes under JoSAA (Joint Seat Allocation Authority), with many top institutions now offering specialized programs in AI and related fields. In recent years, the demand for AI and machine learning courses has surged, driven by the growing industry demand.
Microsoft and LinkedIn have released the India findings of the 2024 Work Trend Index on the state of AI at work. The report titled, “AI at work is here. Now comes the hard part” shows how, in just one year, AI has impacted work and workers, work leaders, and employers. The goal of the report is to present the focus of employees regarding the handling and adoption of AI, the possibilities for career enhancement it offers, and the rise of power users of AI in the future work environment.
As insiders in the education industry, we know that the same holds true for us as well. We actively look for teachers who are technologically savvy, and are comfortable using AI tools. It’s a new qualification of sorts! COVID-19 taught us how to teach in a virtual classroom and how to leverage technology to our benefit. The education industry has rapidly evolved ever since, integrating advanced tools and methodologies to enhance student learning. AI-driven platforms offer personalized learning experiences, adapting to individual student needs and pacing. Virtual tutors and AI-assisted grading systems reduce the administrative burden on educators, allowing them to focus on teaching. AI also facilitates remote learning, making education more accessible. Moreover, CBSE has started training programmes for using AI platforms like Nearpod and Canva in its professional development courses for teachers, showing its steely resolve to promote AI in education.
It was interesting to note that when CBSE included AI as a skill subject for Grades 9 and 10 in its new curriculum, our school was proactive in offering it as a subject of study, along with Banking and Insurance, and Introduction to Tourism. As the Head of the Senior Wing, I felt that all three subjects were useful, interesting, and vocation-oriented. We had picked up these subjects very thoughtfully from a long list of skill subjects offered by CBSE. I presumed that we would get an enthusiastic response from the students for all three. But lo and behold! Over 60% of students opted for AI, notwithstanding their academic capabilities. That’s how popular and ‘cool’ AI is considered by students!
The list of positive trends that reflect AI’s transformative impact on educational practices and outcomes are aplenty. It’s amazing how technology has taken over education, as well as our lives, within a span of two decades!
Flashback to 1999 when Sugata Mitra’s Hole-in-the-Wall experiment came out with some amazing findings by installing an internet-enabled computer in a slum in Delhi to observe how children with no prior computer experience could teach themselves. Within six months, and without any adult supervision, the children of the neighbourhood had learned all the mouse operations, could open and close programs, and were going online to download games, music, and videos. When asked how they had learned all of these sophisticated manoeuvres, they said they had taught themselves.
The Hole in the Wall experiment provided compelling evidence that children have an innate ability to learn autonomously, given the right resources and environment. It suggested that minimally invasive education, where children are provided with the tools and freedom to explore, could be a powerful complement to traditional educational methods, particularly in the underprivileged areas. I recall listening intently to Mitra’s Award winning TED Talk and relishing the powerful concept of Self-organized learning environments (SOLEs).
Cut to 2023, the Netflix era, when I watched Jamtara – Sabka Number Ayega, a crime drama series that delved into the world of phishing scams in a small town in India. The series, inspired by real events, centers around a group of young men in the village of Jamtara, Jharkhand, who run a lucrative phishing operation. They successfully cheat people of their money by posing as bank officials and tricking them into revealing their confidential information.
The series paints a vivid picture of how technological advancements have permeated even the remotest rural areas, bringing to fore both opportunities and challenges. It also highlights the desperation and ambition of youth in economically disadvantaged regions, where illegal activities sometimes appear to be the only path to quick money.
Juxtaposing Mitra’s experiment and the Jamtara Netflix series, a few questions popped up in my mind – who taught these rustic youngsters the nuances of phishing? Possibly a self-organized learning environment? People who were barely educated beyond the basics were running rogue with technology, and how! I wondered what Sugata Mitra would say about them!
Why is the youth resorting to cybercrimes?
Many young individuals from economically disadvantaged backgrounds see cybercrime as a quick way to escape poverty. The lack of employment opportunities and financial instability can drive them towards such illegal activities that promise fast money. Cybercrimes often have a high reward potential with relatively low risk compared to traditional crimes. The anonymity and vast reach of the internet makes it easier for individuals to commit crimes without immediate consequences.
What are the inadvertent gaps that we have left while disseminating cyber skills?
- Lack of cyber ethics education: While schools provide technical skills, they fail to provide extensive knowledge about cyber ethics and legal aspects of cybercrimes. Cyber ethical issues should be adopted into the curriculum since it enables the students to learn the ethical and legal use of computers.
- Critical thinking and moral development: Stressing the aspects of critical thinking and morality in education improves ethical decision-making amongst students. This entails informing them of the repercussions of cybercrimes for both the offenders and the victims in the long run.
- Peer influence and media glorification: The glamorization of hackers in media and popular culture can influence young people to view cybercrimes as a desirable or prestigious activity. Countering this with positive role models in the tech industry, and highlighting the achievements of ethical hackers can shift perceptions away from unethical practices.
- Lack of awareness about legal consequences: Most students are unaware of the severe legal repercussions of cybercrimes. Raising awareness through school programs and public campaigns about the penalties and punishments associated with cybercrimes can serve as a useful deterrent.
What can we, as the teaching community, do to reverse this trend?
- Enhanced cyber education: Introducing comprehensive cybersecurity and ethical education at an early stage in schools can help students develop a strong ethical foundation and help them understand the responsible use of technology.
- Engagement in positive cyber activities: Encouraging participation in coding clubs, cybersecurity competitions, and hackathons can provide positive and legal avenues for students to apply their skills.
- Career guidance and opportunities: Providing clear pathways and guidance for careers in technology, including ethical hacking, cybersecurity, and IT, which can help students see legitimate and rewarding career options.
As we stare wide-eyed into the future, we see AI advance to unprecedented levels. In such a technology-fuelled milieu, the onus of ethical usage of AI will, yet again, fall on the teaching community. Whether students learn from textbooks or SOLEs, the moral aspects will always be in the teacher’s domain. Back in the day, especially in missionary schools, there used to be special moral science lessons, which would drill values into young minds. In today’s times, we need to have ‘Cyber Moral Science’. The humane aspect of technology has to be disseminated by a human and not by a robot. A kite only flies if it’s tethered, and the tethering is usually the job of a teacher. By grounding students in ethical principles, teachers must ensure that AI becomes a tool for empowerment, rather than exploitation. No matter how much technology progresses, teachers will always hold the key to a future, where technology and humanity coexist and thrive in harmony.
References
2. https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/why-ai-doesnt-worry-me-classroom-and-why-it-does
4. https://www.harrowschool.hk/the-pros-and-cons-of-using-ai-in-education/
5. https://www.waldenu.edu/programs/education/resource/five-pros-and-cons-of-ai-in-the-education-sector
6. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/self-organized-learning-sugata-mitra
7. https://www.educationnext.in/posts/is-self-learning-the-best-way-to-learn
8. https://news.microsoft.com/th-th/2024/06/19/wti2024-en/
The author is Education Advisor (Senior Wing), St Kabir Public School, Chandigarh. She can be reached at rads.gupta@gmail.com.
