As I continue to ponder the impact Apple Intelligence’s writing tools will have on spaces we are using text to think, reflect and communicate, my attention turns to summarization. This Fall, Apple will offer the opportunity for users to access a variety of summarization tools. For example, if you audio record a lecture in the Notes app and create a transcription of that lecture, Apple Intelligence’s summarization tools will generate a summary of that, “entire lecture in seconds.” Another feature the summarization tools will offer comes in the Mail app; the ability to summarize long emails, “right from your inbox.”

Email summarization seems like a huge win with little to no negative consequences; as long as the tool doesn’t misinterpret the information in the email. As a recently retired teacher and self-proclaimed life long learner, I’m a little more skeptical of the summarization of things like lecture notes.

One of the most important moments in the learning process, the moment where our opportunity to grow as a learner and thinker is the greatest, comes when we attempt to synthesize information that has been presented to us. In these moments we are building our own intelligence which we can apply to future experiences. Apple Intelligence’s summarization tool, in this scenario, seems to deny us the opportunity to grow as learners and thinkers. As such, I offer the following work around…

Take your notes, listen to the recorded lecture and read the transcription. Work on your own summarization. Sure, there will be times when that work is hard; that’s why it’s called work. After you’ve done the work let Apple Intelligence’s summarization tools have a crack at it. Do you see where this is going? After letting Apple Intelligence have a go at it you will then have 2 summaries allowing you the opportunity to embrace, be informed by, or entirely ignore what Apple Intelligence has provided you and, more importantly, you will NOT have denied yourself the opportunity to grow as a learner and thinker.