> But you cannot unironically think we can substitute fundamental skills like essay writing and critical thinking for a degree in 'prompt engineering'?

Personally, I don't think that. However, I also think it's logical and good for a child to select the most efficient tool available for a task.

I am not this girl's parent, and I'm not sure how I would have handled the situation if I was. However, I worry that simply taking away her phone may have been counterproductive. I would have erred toward some sort of open conversation about the purpose of the assignment and what she is hoping to learn.

Without a consequence, it’s in one out ear, out the other. Plus we have had the talk about actually reading several times.

Phone is her currency.

A warning on losing it will usually fix any behavior problems.

After one really bad episode of mouthing off to her mother, it sat in the blender for a week.

There was a firm understanding that it was being turned on if she didn’t correct herself.

She’s still a mouthy teenager, but she’s learned to keep it at a playful level and not getting out of hand.

Parenting decisions are not isolated "best practice" moments, but the culmination of many conversations, events, interpersonal dynamics, and changes.

I don't know what the best practice is. I'm not a parent yet but I'm studying to be an elementary school teacher, so these sorts of questions are very much on my mind.

Essay writing has already become an old world archaic skill in my mind, like a seamstress or blacksmith. People still produce clothing and metal tools, but with 1000x fewer labor hours for the same amount of output and the process looks completely different. Even most of my personal messages get LLMed if they need to be very long or have to explain something complicated.

Critical thinking is still a skill, but even there GPT-4 is great at giving suggestions and ideas when you're not sure what to do. I got into a long recurring argument with extended family members at an event last month. I pulled out my laptop and dropped in everyone's complaints into GPT and asked the best way to move forward. An argument that normally would have gone on for hours was over in 20 minutes, and we actually felt a sense of mutual understanding for once.

The world is changing very rapidly right now.

You forgot “and drawbacks” after “And the benefits”.