Looking for answers in the flow of wind: the delicate intersection of AI, academics and interpersonal relationships

Curry Time in the Sun: When AI Technology Becomes the Topic at the Dinner Table

The noon sun slanted in through the window, bringing with it a warm sense of tranquility. There was freshly served curry rice placed on the wooden table, and the rich aroma filled the air. This long-lost family gathering allowed me to temporarily take a break from busy work and engage in a warm conversation.

My eldest cousin who teaches at National Taiwan University made an appointment with me. While we were having dinner, we chatted about the hot topic of AI: “Is AI really that powerful these days? What AI tools do you usually use?” Her tone was curious and a little expectant.

I nodded, opened my laptop, and showed her Perplexity’s Deep Research and STORM developed by Stanford University in the United States. These tools can help scholars search and organize data more effectively.

“These technologies can make academic research more efficient. We no longer need to spend a lot of time flipping through books and searching for information, but can directly obtain accurate academic sources.” I explained, “For example, if I want to study ‘The Impact of Generative AI on Journalism,’ it may have taken weeks or even months to collect key documents. Now it only takes a few minutes to sort it out, and it can even automatically generate abstracts and core concepts.”

I further explained, “Although data can be obtained quickly, real academic thinking cannot be replaced. AI can help us improve efficiency, but the final analysis, reasoning and conclusions still need to be completed by ourselves.”

She nodded, seemingly thoughtful. This conversation about AI applications not only made her understand the potential of this technology better, but also made me reconfirm that technology does not exist to replace humans, but to enhance our capabilities and give us more room to think about deeper issues.

Meditation in the cafe: the flow of knowledge and interpersonal distance

In the afternoon, I went to a familiar cafe, ordered a cup of hand-brewed coffee, sat in the corner by the window, opened my laptop and started searching for the references of the paper. The heat in the cup is steaming up, forming a strong contrast with the computer screen in front of you. The intersection of technology and reality gives people the illusion of being in two worlds.

I stored papers one after another in the database. AI technology has made knowledge retrieval more efficient than ever, but another question came to my mind: When AI makes our learning and research more convenient, has it also changed our attitude towards knowledge invisibly?

In the past, research required patience and time. A paper might have to go through countless readings, critical thinking, and note-taking before it could gradually piece together a complete conceptual structure. But now with the help of AI, we can quickly obtain key information, eliminating a lot of search and comparison processes. But is this an improvement or a weakening?

This reminds me of human relationships. Technology allows us to search for a person’s background information in a matter of seconds, and even understand his status through social media, but can such “understanding” really replace real communication and interaction? Knowledge and relationships are not a one-way acquisition process, but a delicate operation that requires investment of time and emotion.

I withdrew my thoughts, took a deep breath of the coffee aroma, and reminded myself that technology is a tool, not a purpose. We cannot let convenience become an obstacle to thinking, let alone let data replace the most real connection between people.

Continue to explore and move forward in the wave of the AI era

In the evening, I chatted with my friend Steve, and we talked about our recent feelings about the AI era.

“Don’t you think competition is getting more and more fierce now?” he asked. “Yes, challenges and opportunities coexist.” I responded, looking at the notebook on the desk. “AI makes many things easier, but it also raises the bar and challenges all industries to adapt to new challenges.”

We discussed how to find our own position in this era and how to remain competitive amid changes. In the end, we came to the conclusion that only by continuous learning and flexibility can we stabilize the pace of change and find our own direction.

Recently, the thermos bottle at home broke and I want to buy a new thermos bottle. My mother and sister picked up the old thermos bottle and studied it for a long time but could not understand the Japanese on the bottle. While having dinner, I picked up my phone to take a photo, and in just a few seconds, ChatGPT translated it for me!

My mother and sister were amazed when they saw it, as if they had witnessed magic.

For people who are accustomed to digital tools, this may be just a part of daily life, but for the generation who are not often exposed to AI, this is undoubtedly a technological miracle. At this moment, I discovered that technology is not only an efficient tool, it can also be a bridge of communication, narrowing the distance between different generations.

On this day, every moment from academic discussions, technology applications to interpersonal communication reminded me: technology can accelerate the flow of information, but what really determines our future is how we use these tools and how we find our footing in a rapidly changing world.

Tomorrow, the world will definitely continue to rotate rapidly, and I will continue to move forward with this passion for exploration, looking for deeper answers in the flow of knowledge.

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