Information Age vs Generation Age Technologies for Learning

**A Paradigm Shift in Technology-Mediated Learning**:

The internet revolutionized education by eliminating time and place as barriers. Now, generative AI is taking it a step further by removing access to expertise as a barrier. This seismic shift requires a fundamental change in our approach to education, pedagogy, and supporting infrastructure.

**From Information Age to Generation Age**:

The CEO of Groq explains this transition: "In the information age, technologies like the internet, mobile, and even the printing press were about making high-fidelity copies of data and distributing them. Generative AI, however, is not about copying but about creating something new in response to a specific query. This process requires significant computing power, as it involves generating content dynamically rather than retrieving pre-existing data."

**Information Age Technologies: Distribution of Static Content**:

During the information age, educational paradigms like open educational resources (OER) leveraged the internet to distribute perfect copies of existing resources at nearly zero cost. This approach democratized access to information, but it relied on static, pre-authored content.

**Generation Age Technologies: Dynamic Expertise**:

Generative AI marks a departure from this model. Instead of providing learners with static content, it offers access to dynamic expertise. Learners can engage with, argue with, collaborate with, and converse with AI in real time, making learning a more interactive and personalized experience.

**Key Points to Remember**:

- The internet removed time and place as barriers to education.

Just as instructional designs evolved to harness the potential of online learning, they must now be dramatically updated to leverage the new affordances of generative AI. This shift from information age to generation age technologies represents a transformative change in the way we think about and deliver education.