Debating

On the Monday 16 March, Oxley had our inaugural Staff vs Student Debate during Assembly. A team of three students competed against three teachers in a debate on the topic: “We regret the rise of AI”. The students, who were the Affirmative team, were represented by Priscilla P (10.4), Lincoln J (9.12) and Izzy K (8.7) while the teachers on the Negative team consisted of Mr White, Mr Govender and Miss Higbed.

The Affirmative team highlighted how AI has caused privacy to become virtually non-existent in the current world. Furthermore, they strengthened their case by explaining how it has caused the line between reality and fiction to become dangerously blurred due to both increasing amounts of people misusing AI, as well as its unreliability. Finally, they outlined how increased use of AI has triggered a decline in independent thought.

The Negative team put forward the argument that AI is merely a tool that humans are learning to utilise in order to advance as a society. They emphasised how AI itself is not inherently 'bad', and that the misuse of a tool is not a reason to regret it. They argued that many innovative, yet unconventional inventions may have caused initial backlash, yet slowly became accepted and integrated into our daily lives. Finally, they argued that how we use AI will be refined over time, allowing us to reap its many benefits in future.

Ultimately, the Affirmative team grounded their arguments within the present through explaining the impact of AI on today’s society, while the Negative team based their case on future possibilities for the use of AI. Consequently, the Affirmative emerged victorious, with the students winning the debate over the teachers by a mere one-point margin.

Lincoln J (9.12) was awarded Best Speaker of the debate. Congratulations to the Student Team on a fantastic effort!

Leah C (9.10)

Debating Captain