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Kylie Moore-Gilbert (Comment, 30/7) gives us a timely warning about the dangers of AI producing a ″dunce army″, especially among young people who might over-rely on it in their studies. We certainly don’t want to make medical students dumber as Moore-Gilbert speculates. At the risk of giving my version of ″the old days″, and even before dial-up modems, university work in my humanities course involved lots of reading, writing and analysis. Much as I grumbled about it at the time, the hard grind of hours in the library, reading and taking notes, gave me a good educational foundation.David Fry, Windsor
Strengthen our critical thinking
Kylie Moore-Gilbert is right to highlight a worry that students may offload logical and critical thinking to Claude or ChatGPT. AI is cheaper but I’d rather we strengthen our thought processes. Fortunately, some schools are beginning to address this particular matter. We do need our human teachers to teach. As Moore-Gilbert suggests, it’s use it or lose it.Vivienne Daniels, Mornington
Where are we heading in this race?
Kylie Moore-Gilbert’s article should wake up all of us, especially our governments, federal and states, regarding the AI rush risking ″making a dunce army”. It is interesting to note that Silicon Valley tech billionaires send their kids to tech-free Waldorf schools. A telling statement that they want their children’s brains to be developed without AI influence. She outlines so many consequences once this technology takes hold in our society. Social media has already conditioned our children to be homogenised in their thinking. Where are we heading when there is such a race to introduce this technology into Australian society and for what purpose?Christine Baker, Rosanna
The rise in job insecurity
With the arrival of artificial intelligence, white-collar employees will soon be changing their jobs with the same frequency most of us change our underwear. Job security will become next to non-existent in so many professional and office roles, in the relatively near future.Michael Gamble, Belmont
An encyclopaedic answer
Re Google search as a first line of inquiry (Letters, 31/7), World Book Encyclopaedias still publish an annual print edition if you have a metre of available shelving to house it. You’ll get quick answers and serendipitous cross-references without the ads.Sue McKenzie, Belmont
THE FORUM
The right direction
What a good idea from your correspondent (Letters, 31/7). If it is feasible to move works to SRL West using existing contractors it could reduce compensation fees by amending contracts instead of cancelling them. And the billions of dollars would be spent where the need is most urgent.Jan Lacey, North Melbourne
Have to move forward
Most of Melbourne’s rail network was built in the latter part of the 19th century and the earliest part of the 20th century. It was always going to cost billions to bring up to 21st century standard. Your correspondent (Letters, 31/7) believes the Liberals wouldn’t be reckless to spend taxpayers’ money on such a project, but if so Melbourne’s population of more than 5 million, and growing, would now and in the future be relying on an antiquated train network that was built to cater for a population that was around 2 million.Phil Alexander, Eltham
Study economics
Shane Wright’s article “Most of us don’t understand the RBA. That’s a problem” (30/7), could just as easily read “Most of us don’t understand economics and that’s an even bigger problem”. As an economics teacher and university teaching associate I have always advocated that all students should study this subject. Economics provides relevant, real-world learning that no student I know has ever regretted studying.
The knowledge and skills gained by studying economics are drivers of success in everyday life and empower people to engage intelligently in public debate about current economic issues and policies.
Those who do understand the role of the RBA and monetary policy are year 12 economics students.
This is sophisticated knowledge for young people. So, while RBA surveys of the public’s knowledge of economics is poor, it’s good to know that students studying the subject have a solid understanding of the economy.
In my view, the study of economics should be compulsory.Margaret Wilson, Brighton
We don’t have to take it
Waleed Aly’s anger is not irrational (Comment, 31/7). It has a name: “Enshittification”. The eponymous book by Cory Doctorow describes in detail the strategies and intentions of the creators of this dystopian online universe. It should be required reading for everybody, because we don’t have to just suck it up.John Laurie, Riddells Creek
Great balls of ire
I totally agree with Waleed Aly’s comments concerning digital chaos.
On Thursday, I spent the entire afternoon trying to navigate the labyrinthine world of a company’s website. Finally, I simply gave up. The wonderful cyber world has simply created colossal balls of technological spaghetti.Oriana Collins, Hawthorn
Celebrating legacy
Thank you Tony Wright (″Back Hanson? Hawke would turn in his grave″, 31/7) Unlike the deputy director of the IPA, I, like most in this country think the Welcome to Country ceremony has nothing at all to do with racial discrimination.
Rather it recognises and celebrates the wonderful rich legacy that our Indigenous ancestors have given us. What Pauline Hanson and Daniel Wild don’t get is the idea that we like and appreciate our rich history and cultural heritage.Frank Flynn, Cape Paterson
Apartment living
Having rented apartments in inner Melbourne and the CBD over the past 20 years, I’m for living in low-density buildings. Lifts cannot be used when fire alarms are activated – bushfire smoke a summer contributor – and they break down. I often wonder if residents higher up decide to sit it out while others exit the building on shaky legs long after those of us from lower floors.
More worrying is a childcare centre on the ninth floor of a CBD office building where I left my small grandson one morning. The few staff present for the number of babies and toddlers in their care would have challenged their capacity to evacuate all safely down the fire escape if needed.
COVID also exposed limitations when signs ordered only one person per lift. Would our adventurous three-year-old exit on the ninth floor or reach other buttons once inside?Janet Barr, Toorak
Turning a blind eye
David Crowe’s report from Bordeaux puts the spotlight on a conundrum (″It’s not just the flames Bordeaux residents fear″, 31/7). Do we downplay damage and risk from climate change so that businesses, including tourism, can operate as usual, (or limp from one disaster to the next)?
Or do we acknowledge the fact that these disasters are increasingly frequent, and that unless urgent reduction of fossil fuels burning occurs, the cycle will keep repeating? The concerted emissions-reduction course would be cheaper.
As Crowe reports, the economic damage from the fires in France “will be measured in billions of euros from the destruction of properties, the suspension of 13,000 companies during the evacuations and the collapse of tourism”.
The major parties in Australia have answered. They want more coal, more gas and even more oil. Some even say they want nuclear.
All are delaying any genuine reduction in emissions.Fiona Colin, Malvern East
Lament for a tree
How my heart resonated with Melissa Hoyer’s article (Comment, 30/7). I am a tree person. I come from Canada, the land of trees, trees and more trees. I formerly lived in Elwood with a magnificent Norfolk fir tree half a dozen houses away. It towered into the sky and was a landmark for our area. It marked our home. Whenever I returned home from work travelling down Nepean Highway I could see our home from a kilometre or two away. The towering tree would welcome me home. Then one day on my return, I found people cutting it down. The tree, my homecoming tree, was gone. I was upset and unsettled.
I then did something I never do, I wrote a poem about the tree. I never write poems. I am not particularly good at it. But I felt something was needed to mark the passing of the old giant tree that had been on that street for years watching us all come and go welcoming us home.Jane Cheong, Aspendale Gardens
Paved paradise
I, too, mourn the loss of suburban trees; in my case an ancient golden ash growing in our front garden. Like Melissa Hoyer, our tree with its thick broad trunk and leafy canopy provided summer shade, autumn glory as well as a natural climbing feature for our three sons.
Alas, when we moved house after 27 years, the new owners cut it down to make way for a concrete driveway and frontage. Separate to identified sick or unsafe trees as in Hoyer’s situation, destruction of healthy trees contributes to urban heat intensification, loss of habitat for our native fauna and aesthetic beauty of our neighbourhoods.Sandra Fordyce-Voorham, Black Rock
No-brainer loop
When I was a student attending Monash University many decades ago, my public transport route from the south-eastern suburbs took about an hour, if you were lucky enough to actually have your train and bus seamlessly connect – which it mostly didn’t. Monash University Clayton is now the biggest university campus in Australia, surrounded by research institutions, the Heart Hospital and other large employers.
It still takes an hour on public transport to get there. The SRL will take 10 minutes from Cheltenham to Monash University. Thousands of cars off the roads and a seamless 10-minute trip – it’s a no-brainer.Shelley Durance, Beaumaris
Frame of mind
Alzheimer’s is a totally cruel disease but sorry, I don’t want to know 20 years early that I have it (″Blood test to give Australians valuable gift of time″, 31/7). Why waste valuable living time in a medicalised approach to life?Peta Colebatch, Hawthorn
AND ANOTHER THING
Politics
If Ben Carroll can get Labor back on track then we’ll call him Big Ben.Robin Jensen, Castlemaine
If you were told you owed $15 billion, you would demand that the amount be properly audited and proven. Bring on the Big Build royal commission, ASAP.Malcolm McDonald, Burwood
How will Victorians celebrate Christmas? By singing Carrolls of praise, or by trying to digest a democratic sausage comprising Liberals, Nationals and One Nation?Kevan Porter, Alphington
Ben Carroll certainly isn’t Daniel Andrews.Michael McKenna, Warragul
How can we ask politicians to step down, when often they’ve never actually stepped up?Ron Mather, Melbourne
CFMEU administrator Michael Crosby deserves a statue.Richard Sykes, Bell Park
Opponents of the government, such as senator Andrew Bragg, can call it many things but communist is not one of them.Garry Meller, Bentleigh
Maybe Andrew Bragg could supply us with a list of those communists.Andrew O’Brien, South Yarra
Furthermore
Yet another excellent Wilcox (31/7) illustrating the chasm between reality and the Hanson perspective on domestic violence.Dorothy Galloway, Mentone
Cathy Wilcox once again encapsulates the inequality and power some men wield over women and children.Jane Ross, San Remo
Wouldn’t it be nice if FIFA announced that tickets at the next World Cup will be capped at $100 a seat for all games?Luigi Cosma, Rosanna
Yes, Steve Martinuzzo (Comment, 31/7) my pet hate: A red right turn arrow at 3am in the morning!Peter McGill, Lancefield
Finally
Collingwood will need post-game hugs rather than pre-game.John Bye, Elwood