There is no longer a question around whether AI will change humanity. It already has. The more difficult question is whether the people and institutions guiding AI’s development can evolve as quickly as this Janus-faced technology itself. It is ultimately the responsibility of every person to decide which of its two faces it will wear going forward.

The idea of Janus-faced truths stems from the mythology of the Roman god Janus, whose head bore two faces, and presided over thresholds: new beginnings and endings. This god also governed war and peace and was invoked during times of great change.

Humanity is facing a time of great change, with Artificial Intelligence appearing ubiquitously in our lives, seemingly without anyone asking for it. Every email server and customer service hotline now has a chatbot offering its “help,” making it increasingly difficult to reach a human who can better understand the nuances of a specific question. Even straightforward internet searches now require adding “-AI,” otherwise the top result may be an AI-generated summary of everything known about a topic, whether factually verified or not. Accessing peer-reviewed studies and hard-copy research is becoming increasingly difficult, making it imperative that individuals take responsibility for fact-checking the information they encounter online amid the overwhelming presence of “AI slop.”

You’ll hear people touting the advantages of AI, arguing that it doesn’t replace human intelligence but amplifies it. A physician can review more research before making a diagnosis. A teacher can personalize lessons for 30 students rather than teaching to the average. Scientists can analyze protein structures, climate simulations, and astronomical data in hours instead of years. Small businesses gain capabilities once reserved for multinational corporations.

For artists, proponents argue that AI lowers technical barriers. Someone with compelling ideas but limited drawing ability can visualize concepts. Independent filmmakers can create visual effects that once required millions of dollars. Writers can brainstorm, organize research, or explore alternate drafts without waiting for collaborators. And tools that lower the cost of creation often increase the total amount of art produced. After all, photography didn’t eliminate painting, and computers didn’t eliminate writers.

Yes, that’s one face. But if we look at the other side, we discover something different. Consider the cost of this lower barrier to entry for arts, education, and productivity. What is the human, economic, and environmental toll of easy access to “intelligence”?

Comparisons are drawn between the advent of Artificial Intelligence and the Industrial Revolution, where work moved from fields to factories, creating more jobs (despite terrible working conditions). However, AI has stolen jobs because it rendered the humans who once performed those tasks useless. An estimated 175,000 U.S. positions have been lost to AI and automation since tracking began in 2023—and that’s just the jobs that have been officially reported. According to economists, that number could increase to over 10 million by 2030. Here again, advocates will say that productivity revolutions always redistribute work before they create new work, but where are these new jobs?

Some discussions place the focus on factory automation jobs. But AI increasingly affects professions long considered resistant to automation: accountants, translators, graphic designers, customer service representatives, paralegals, junior programmers, journalists, and even some medical specialists.

Unlike previous industrial revolutions, AI targets cognitive labor; specifically, the work many societies encouraged people to pursue precisely because it seemed secure. Whether AI becomes broadly enriching or economically destabilizing may depend less on the technology than on education, labor policy, taxation, and corporate governance.

Childhood education faces growing concern over AI tools in grade schools. These programs enter classrooms with little oversight and unclear data collection practices. In Utah, new AI technology is being rolled out in public schools this year. Nationally, the possibility of a humanoid robot named “Plato” was presented as an in-home teacher for children, sparking concerns from the education community. Even as First Lady Melania Trump concluded her statement about this robotic future, she warned that “optimism must be weighed with caution.”

For students lacking educational resources, an AI tutor that can explain algebra ten different ways without frustration and remain available around the clock can be transformative. But the same systems can also backfire. Chatbots are now completing essays and homework assignments and reducing a student’s cognitive development by removing opportunities for them to acquire persistence, reasoning, and even basic writing skills. This is dangerous for the future of our society.

Educators face mounting challenges. They must teach critical thinking, keep students engaged against social media distractions, and grade work while detecting AI use.
At first glance, the healthcare sector may also appear to benefit greatly from the advent of AI. Machine learning systems already assist in interpreting medical images, identifying drug candidates, summarizing clinical notes, predicting patient deterioration, and expanding access to basic medical information.

Yet, AI models reflect biases in historical medical data and can be programmed to systematically deny coverage across the board, without considering the varied and nuanced nature of individual human health histories. AI models consistently produce confident but incorrect recommendations, and privacy concerns surrounding sensitive health information remain significant.

However, no area provokes stronger emotional reactions than the use of AI in art. Currently, AI systems are trained on vast collections of human-created work without adequate permission or compensation. The internet is awash with stories from creators about bots crawling their websites, stealing their intellectual property, and then mass-producing their art.

Artists and writers worry that their individual styles, painstakingly developed over decades, can now be imitated within seconds. These concerns are neither imaginary nor trivial. New “artistic tools” appear every day, and artists worry that these tools now diminish “real” creativity.

Despite photography, digital editing tools, and computer animation having all faced similar skepticism upon their advent, the difference with AI is that it imitates aspects of creativity itself rather than merely expanding an artist’s physical technique. It’s not creating anything new or unique; it’s regurgitating what already exists. The “smooth brain” experience of writing or creating with AI does little to enrich an individual’s life. Why take the time to develop your unique voice or artistic style when you can plug a prompt into a bot and have it spit out something you could market within hours?

This reasoning becomes truly problematic when we take it one step further into the epistemological effects of AI—how do we truly know what we “know”? If AI can create art and fabricate news stories and videos, can we believe what we see anymore? Anything from images, voices, and video footage to phone scams can now be fabricated with startling realism. Every echelon of society is now affected by AI: journalism, elections, legal systems, financial markets, and ordinary interpersonal trust. This all begs the question, “How are we verifying anything anymore?”

Libraries stocked with physical books, access to peer-reviewed research, the willingness to fact-check our own biases, and face-to-face interactions with members of our communities are more important than ever. Human beings thrive in the physical world. The Gen Z maxim “touch grass” applies. That is, assuming the resources needed to keep growing grass in Utah are preserved by those who choose to use their voices and vote in local and national elections.

Assessing the full environmental effects of AI needs much more time and space than this article allows (and many journalists have covered it extensively). The news and debates around current proposals in Utah are harrowing. Because AI is often described as “digital,” this suggests a false immateriality, but its environmental effects are tangible. Training and operating large AI models requires significant computing infrastructure, electricity, water for cooling, and semiconductor manufacturing (read: data centers). Ultimately, individuals hold the power to make sure local leadership is accountable for reflecting the needs and values of their constituents. And Utahns do need and value our beautiful landscapes and protected natural resources.

When we step back and look at the long-term effects on our state and all its natural wonders, we need to ask ourselves if the easy, pretty face of AI is truly worth the cost when it turns and shows the other side. So much of the rhetoric has been that AI is “inevitable”, “it’s already happening”, and “you can’t stop it”, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Voting is just one of many ways to get involved. Pay attention to how leadership is voting. Keep pushing back and inspecting both sides of every issue. Ask the hard questions. Join your local school board, support your child’s teacher, and get involved in their classroom, whenever possible. Sign petitions and get involved at a community level. Join a writing group, take an art class, or develop another physical skill. Support free resources like public libraries. Read, fact-check, and join discussions with real humans, even if the topic is challenging. It is uncomfortable to be vulnerable, but knowledge is power.

Get to know your neighbors. Bring them cookies or invite them to share a meal. It is more important than ever to participate in the community. After all, how do you know a real person wrote this article? That may be an incentive to get to know local writers on the lawn at the farmer’s market or join the writing group at the public library, which meets the second Saturday of every month. Whichever face of AI you choose to interact with, remember not to take everything you see at face value. Keep looking at it from both sides.

Join the Wasatch Back Writers 11:00 a.m. on the second Saturday of each month in the upstairs boardroom at the Wasatch County Library.
For more information, email wasatchbackwriters@gmail.com

Today, Wasatch Community Foundation is a thriving 501c3, and the largest all-volunteer, non-profit organization in Heber Valley. Our vision is to build an extraordinary community by enabling families to be happy and healthy. Our mission is to advance the well-being of Wasatch County residents by uniting community resources and programs through our pillars.

Our education pillar mission is for Wasatch County citizens to have every opportunity to enrich and enhance their lives through exceptional educational opportunities beyond the classroom. From community-based programs to technology and college readiness, the Foundation will support and partner in the community. We want to ensure all students of learning, of all ages, will be successful in whatever their educational journey may be.

Our partnership with CAPS this past Semester brought together the Foundation and two Wasatch High School seniors who took on the challenge to learn retail operations. Not only did the students learn the trade from inventory to sales, they learned that giving back is also an element to any good business plan.  Together with Northland USA we were able to run a successful project that not only raised scholarship money for local students but helped the less fortunate and a homeless camp with warm clothing.

Other projects our education pillar is looking forward to working on this year, 2024. Is to continue to support adult education, special needs programs and further the enrichment opportunities for the whole community.

When the Wasatch Community Foundation says, “From the Community, To the Community” it means just that, as reflected in our CAPS project and many other programs we support and fund.

If you would like to join our efforts or donate to our cause, please reach out to the Wasatch Community Foundation.

info@ourwcf.org

www.ourwcf.org

Lee Music provides a serious music education. It takes the general idea of private music lessons and instantly ratchets up the possibilities. Whether you love classical sonatas, or dream about riffing on the electric guitar, there is a teacher who will take your dream seriously and lead you along the way to mastery — or slaying on the guitar.

As a young toddler, Winston Lee would lie underneath his mother’s grand piano while she played. He was also shaped by the complex sounds and storytelling of Prokofiev’s orchestral “Peter and the Wolf” which he listened to several times a day. When Winston was seven, his mother started his piano training. Winston recalls,“I would throw the music on the floor because I was able to memorize songs quickly. My mother took me to B.Y.U. at age eight to audition for Dr. Pollei. He took me on as a student and I began practicing four hours a day.” At the age of nine, Winston became the youngest instrumentalist to perform with the Utah Valley Symphony where he performed Mozart’s 19th Piano Concerto. That led to spending his youth practicing piano and participating in many competitions; Winston received many awards along the way.

Winston shares that he eventually, “[…] burned out at around fourteen and stopped competing. When I was sixteen I worked at The Homestead dining room as a pianist. I enjoyed playing there, but still had no desire to compete. Finally, at age nineteen I had a desire to study music and received a full tuition scholarship at Utah State where I studied with Professor Amano. While at the University, I taught piano at the Conservatory on campus. I felt like I was effective in not only my ability to teach, but also in my ability to connect with students. It was very fulfilling. From that time to the present, teaching has been my passion.”

In speaking with a parent of one of Winston’s students she mentioned specifically choosing him because of his competition-level training and artistry that was tempered by his priority to keep music joyful for the students. Another mom whose children were with Winston for over 10 years, she shared, “In addition to his mastery of the piano and ability to teach skills, I appreciate how much he taught the ‘Whole Student’. The music was never more important than my child, and I think that Winston’s experience with having burned out made him an inspired teacher who always nurtured their interests in music in such a quiet, kind, way by simply allowing the music to motivate them.”

THE GENESIS

After college, Winston set up private lessons in Heber. “For several years, I taught about sixty piano students at Winston Lee Piano Studio which was housed in a small room at my dad’s store: The House of Fine Arts where he sold gift items and original paintings, as well as provided custom framing for customers. Eventually, my dad allowed me to build two more teaching studios in the store to bring in three more teachers: Russ-guitar, Kirk-violin, and Heather-saxophone. The four of us taught there for a few months before my dad was diagnosed with cancer. He passed away two months after his diagnosis.”

After his father’s passing, Winston saw a “For Rent” sign at the current location on 55 West 100 South. “I contacted the owners, Jim and Norma Fosgate. They were excited to have a music studio open up in their building and told me about the history of the building. Jim originally bought the building, and it became Audionics, where he developed sound equipment under the name of Rockford Fosgate. Notably, he won an Emmy in technology for designing what is now known as “Surround Sound,” which is used in homes and theaters all over the world. He sold the patent to Dolby.”

Dedicated to developing a music school with a variety of instruction, the new location started humbly with two crates of sheet music to sell and four teachers.

EXPANSION, SHAPING LIVES AND LIFTING HEARTS

“I had seven studios built inside to expand instrument lessons. People supported us right from the start. They came in asking if I would carry guitar strings, reeds, instrument cables, etc. I installed some slat wall and bought hooks and filled it with musical accessories that had been requested. I also recruited teachers on various instruments. Today, we have sixteen teachers, a school of rock program, rental instruments, guitars, ukuleles, and musical accessories. We opened in August of 2000 with tremendous support from the community: without them, Lee Music would not exist.”

Lee Music’s teachers provide lessons in the afternoons and evenings when students are out of school or work with a variety of private lessons and group instruction. Lee’s also has lessons in the form of rock bands through Lee Music School of Rock. The school also rents and sells guitars, ukuleles, violins, violas, and cellos, as well as providing minor repairs on instruments and changing strings.

There are multiple University and private studies citing the benefits of music to the brain and general well-being for those who play music or simply listen. It’s not just for those seeking a career in music. Winston feels that music touches the heart and lifts the spirit of every human being and it’s never too late to start. He mentioned that his adult students are often his most dedicated since they have great discipline to practice.

ALUMNI KEEPS GROWING

By having a serious music school available in Heber, kids from all along the Wasatch Back have access to life-changing opportunities. Some of his former students, now professional musicians, composers, and songwriters shared their insights.

“Winston and Lee Music shaped my childhood, and eventually my adulthood, by giving me opportunities both with performance and collaboration. Winston was completely unique as a piano teacher in his approach to music theory, improvisation, song writing, accompaniment, and playing music with other people in ensembles. The way he taught made music feel deeply accessible and fun, like anything was possible and that I could do anything I wanted to do with music. I feel like Winston didn’t just teach me how to play the piano, he taught me how to speak the language of music.” Stefania Barr of Shrink the Giant

“Winston did a good job at responding to my personal interests and needs. I wanted to learn all the Beethoven sonatas that I could and he supported me in that interest. Later, when I taught music, I found that it helps to keep kids interested when they get to choose the music that they want to learn so they can become the type of musician that they want to be. Winston encouraged a variety of approaches to learning music. Sometimes maybe a very strict classical teacher will focus on reading music and perfecting your execution and technique, and that is important. But if you don’t also teach improvisations, harmonies that exist outside of classical music, like in jazz for example, the process of creativity in composition, then you’re really lacking something in your musical education. I think I got a well-rounded music education in technique, learning discipline for practice, learning creativity, composition, improvisation, and how to dissect music to understand theory.” Jean-Christian Barr of Shrink the Giant

MISSION

The mission of Lee Music is to provide high quality musical instruction and inspire students to bring music into their lives. Winston shared, “What makes me most proud of our accomplishments are watching former students continue pursuing music after their time at Lee Music. It’s also rewarding when former students drop by and visit us. They let us know how grateful they are that we gave them such a positive experience with music when they were growing up. We’ve had an exciting 22 years and really appreciate the enthusiasm and support we’ve received along the way. As long as people still believe in music, we’ll just keep on moving forward.”

“Practice Every Day” At least 20 minutes and it will still provide great benefit.

• Piano is recommended for all students because it helps them to make sense out of any other instrument they pursue later.
• You’re never too old to start learning an instrument. You should just jump into it. I’ve found that adult beginners are some of my best students.
• Students should be encouraged to learn whatever instrument they are drawn to.

If someone has been playing all their lives, they should continue to do so. I still practice, arrange and compose music for about two hours each day.

Last fall, 489 registered voters responded to a community survey issued by Y2 Analytics. All results can be found on the FSP website (futureschoolsproject.com). The question is not if we will need more schools, but why, where, when, and most importantly how. One key finding from the survey showed that Wasatch County residents find fiscal responsibility (91%) and transparency (87%) “very important”.

According to the FSP website, “The Wasatch School District administration and Board of Education are committed to a master planning process that prioritizes listening to parents, students, and community members. Our Master Planning Goals are: Be innovative and forward-thinking as we plan for growth, Ensure that students reach their personal goals and become productive contributing members of society, and create solutions that are efficient and financially responsible.”

The FSP is a simple concept yet has detailed steps and multi-involved phases that have been taking place since September 2021. Phases include: gathering information, generating options, reviewing with the public, and finally the master plan draft presentation at the school board meeting on April 21, 2022. As part of community engagement, three committees were formed to help consult, frame, and direct this process; an educators committee (teachers and administrators), an advisory committee (elected officials of local jurisdictions and leaders of community organizations), and a steering committee (constituents selected by school board and district administrators). The FSP team has tried to give the community as many opportunities as possible to voice opinions, share ideas, and ask questions. There have been surveys, neighborhood meetings, and a special website with a place to “join the conversation”. It is always possible to email or call board members and district personnel. Contact information can be found at wasatch.edu.

Part of the process also included an assessment, completed in December-January, of current school buildings and facilities. The project team analyzed safety and maintenance issues; and explored whether or not buildings were meeting the education visions gathered from the prior input of the committees.

Building “Bridges” to Future Schools

This project comes on the heels of the 2019 bond failure.  It was an emotional campaign with frustration and passion from both proponents and objectors. The final outcome showed 57% voting against and 42% in favor.

Superintendent Paul Sweat explains, “The Future Schools Project is the Board of Education’s response to the community asking to be more involved in the planning process, as well as to the rapid growth that we are experiencing in Wasatch County and within the District. Based on continual updates from District Staff, they know our buildings are at — or over — capacity, and we are in need of a long-range plan to address the growth, which shows no signs of slowing down, based on data from local agencies gathered by our demographers, Davis Demographics.”

Findings from the community survey referenced above, show how growth and education are perceived in the valley. 67% believe that the county is growing “much too quickly” along with 82% agreeing that public education is “very important to the health of a community”. Community involvement is also “very important” to 67% of those who participated in the survey.

Sweat reflects, “It’s been eye-opening to see the engagement and enthusiasm for the process from within our District and throughout the community. We’ve long heard that our constituents want to become involved in our District; now they are actively participating in the process through committees and community meetings. Our visits to school staff meetings were very productive in gathering information for us to share with our consultant team, GSBS Architects, and allowed teachers and staff to candidly share their thoughts and concerns.”

April: Enroll in Civil Engagement 101

Although much has happened in the past six months, the next two months are even more crucial and exciting. All the effort and hard work will culminate at a public open house on April 7th. A final master plan draft will be shared at the school board meeting on April 21st. Look for details to be announced soon on the district website (wasatch.edu) or the Wasatch County School District’s Facebook page.

“The Open House on April 7th will provide the public with an opportunity to view the recommendations from GSBS, which will incorporate the information they’ve gathered during their months-long process. It will be a chance for folks to weigh in on the possible next steps in addressing growth within our District,” says Sweat.

Lindsey Ferrari, the public outreach consultant for GSBS Architects, explains, “This master planning process is designed to identify the public’s vision and values for education through a set of guiding principles; assess how the district’s facilities and buildings are performing now and how they will perform with future growth projections; then give the public some options for addressing growth based on the public’s vision.  Those options will be presented to the public for feedback at the open house in April and through other various methods such as the District website and smaller group meetings.  It’s important for residents to get involved in April and let the school board and consultant team know which options they want to accept as a community.” Ferrari continued by stating, “I’d also like to add that the master plan will not dictate where and what a new school or expansion might look like, but rather when the board should consider taking action based on pre-determined milestones regarding growth or building condition. So the public should be on the same page as to when and how the District will address growth.”

Just like a high school graduate that made it through those tough and fun teenage years, the future holds many possibilities and educational options for Wasatch County. Now is the time to take the opportunity to be a part of the vision and decision-making process for future schools. The next few weeks will advance the goal of addressing and managing growth and education in positive and intentional ways.

Sweat concluded by stating, “It’s crucial for our community to know we are working diligently to ensure our learning environments will provide the best possible achievement outcomes for the students of Wasatch County. Whether that takes the form of updated or new buildings will be determined by the FSP process and our much-anticipated Facilities Master Plan.”

Learn more and get involved FUTURESCHOOLSPROJECT.ORG