I didn't actually read as much AI doomerism in the article as you did. I saw his conclusion being that it wasn't that hard to go back to teaching/learning in t

I didn't actually read as much AI doomerism in the article as you did. I saw his conclusion being that it wasn't that hard to go back to teaching/learning in the old ways. It's more of a human element that limits it. Whether it's the student, the parents, or the teachers who don't want to require work to be done and demonstrated to see advancement. It wasn't that long ago that oral exams and in person homework or tests were regularly done. It's very recent and it's certainly convenient to be remote, or to allow all technology all the time, but it's not required. Stephenson's doomerism is about his estimation of future human choices, not the AI (such as it exists) itself.