Notes and reflections on history and education
Today I’m going to let a few others promote literacy for me with the links below.
What do you think—are literate people only becoming more valuable, or are they trying to justify their own interests? Trying to slap away a tidal wave that is coming for all of us? What would you encourage a confused teenager to study right now—how would you promote literacy in their field of interest?
Love to hear thoughts in the comments.
Media Literacy Challenge 2026 – #15: “Revenge of the humanities”?
the study of those subject areas that seek to explore, interpret, analyze, and convey the human experience, typically including the arts, literature, philosophy, history, religion, and language
the view that strong readers with human values, good judgment, and discerning tastes will become increasingly valuable in a world mediated by AI and impersonations of human work
Find all challenge key terms on Quizlet (the number of flashcards will increase as the challenge progresses!)
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4 Responses
What an interesting perspective. This idea was actually introduced to me in a different forum just a day or two ago. As the machines we build not only do our work, but increasingly do that work more efficiently than we can, what will be left for humanity to do?
The interviewee’s answer was that humanity will be forced to return to our most human characteristics- relationships with God and our fellowmen. And he was quite enthusiastic about it.
I think there is merit to the idea. AI can produce, analyze, summarize, and communicate at remarkable speed—but it is only as good as its training. The need for cultured minds will become greater.
People who understand the past and can therefore glimpse the future; who recognize beauty and can distinguish it from mere novelty; who possess good judgment and discerning taste; who can communicate ideas clearly and, most importantly, cultivate meaningful relationships with other people and with God—those may be precisely the qualities that become most valuable in an increasingly automated world.
I can see how the future could be a kind of “revenge of the humanities.”
I think that literate people are becoming more valuable than ever, and I would encourage teens to read the classics, learn from history. If it was true then it’s true now, perhaps with some modifications, but there are eternal truths that can be found, and when applied will help one greatly.
I think we are going to see a little bit of the economist “k curve.” Those who value humanities and such will continue to increase their studies and understanding more than our current average. On the opposite side, people who do not value or see the good of them will study/know them even less.
I sure hope they don’t become a lost art however. Society is much better off when we remember to learn from the past.
We noticed that Spotify has started flagging music as AI generated. Although it seems like that sort of product will have a market, it also seems that live performance will become more valuable.