I think a major problem still unaddressed is the lack of even basic education on LLMs for the average person. I remember reading recently on X that 84% of people have never even used AI, don't know at all if that's true, but the true number is likely large nonetheless.
This leads to the majority either using AI redundantly (e.g. as a search engine) which is a wasted opportunity, or worse, using it in an unhealthy manner such as believing it's 'alive' and becoming emotionally attached. And sycophantic LLMs only make this worse.
So schools and institutions should definitely teach AI literacy in their curriculums so the next generation doesn't think it's just another Google or their friend.
100% agree, very on point, William!
I remembered a Geely method:
They are bypassing universities entirely and putting high schoolers directly into real AI and satellite projects. They look for 4 things: huge ambition, independent decision-making (without Google), strong will, and the courage to argue with bosses (critical thinking).
If we want to stop people from treating AI like a magic 8-ball, we don't need new school subjects; we need to prioritize critical thinking and real-world project execution over traditional memorization.
According to its founder, Li Shufu, states.
https://zgh.com/media-center/news/2021-05-18/?lang=en
A little from #AI on this:
They are no longer just a car company; they have transitioned into a tech conglomerate.
Li Shufu has famously stated for years that traditional universities are failing to provide the skills businesses actually need.
Because of this, Geely literally built its own universities and colleges (e.g., Geely University of China, Sanya University, and the Geely Talent Development Group). They bypass traditional academic bottlenecks by creating direct pipelines from youth education to corporate R&D.
Companies like Huawei, Tencent, and Geely run intense incubator programs (sometimes disguised as hackathons, summer camps, or youth academies) where they identify prodigies at the middle-to-high school level.
Instead of waiting for these kids to finish a 4-year degree (which the companies view as a waste of time that breeds "bookworms/nerds"), they pull them directly into internal corporate mentorships led by top executives.
The Chinese tech culture heavily values "Wolf Culture" (aggression, critical thinking, fast decision-making) over perfect test scores, which perfectly aligns with the "4 rules" mentioned in the post.
How to research this further:
If you want to read more about Geely's unique approach to education and tech, here are the best areas and terms to look up:
Geely Talent Development Group (εε©δΊΊζεε±ιε’): This is the official educational arm of Geely. You can read about how they integrate students directly into enterprise projects. (Official Geely Page on Education)
Geely's Geespace (Satellites) & Aerofugia (Flying Cars): Researching Geespace's hiring and R&D strategies shows how they pull young, unconventional talent to build out their space program.
Li Shufu on Education: Search for English or translated Chinese interviews with Li Shufu regarding the "academic-corporate gap." He has frequently spoken about why he had to build his own schools to get the employees he actually needed.
I agree with that. Unfortunately most educational institutions are basically hardwired to be standardized and test-based; it's just easier to present information to be memorized than independent critical thinking.
But at that point it's more about the core issues with education in general than just teaching AI.
Either way this looks interesting, I'll definitely take a look at it