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As students head back to school, artificial intelligence is beginning to seep into classrooms. At least one London private school will begin using an AI-powered system to help a pilot group study core subjects for GCSE exams in “unsupervised” classrooms, supervised by a “learning coach.” But technology's disruption of education has not always been welcomed. In South Korea, plans to introduce AI-powered digital textbooks in schools in 2025 have sparked a backlash among wary academics and parents.
As in other fields, it is not realistic to think that AI will replace teachers anytime soon, nor should it. Research shows that the best learning is social, involving interactions between teachers, students, and among students. This is one reason why “massive open online courses”—open-access web-based courses aimed at broad participation—failed to live up to the promise they had when they emerged in the 2010s.
AI probably can't replace the judgment, motivation, guidance, and emotional care that teachers can provide. But students will be entering an AI-enabled workplace, and schools must prepare them for that world, including how they learn. And AI has the potential to empower teachers, freeing them up to spend more time doing what they do best.
The technology could, for example, help teachers with the many hours of tedious, sometimes unpaid work they do outside the classroom. Educational technology companies have already announced products using generative AI to help teachers prepare lesson plans, presentations, and assignments for students, but like any AI, these need to be monitored for “hallucinations” and bias. Increasingly sophisticated systems that can grade tests and homework, and provide feedback on written exams, are also being announced.
Educational technology companies are also developing AI-powered tutors that can track students' progress and understanding and provide customized support, paving the way for more individualized attention for students. For example, digital tablets in South Korea are touted as customizable, with software assessing fast and slow learners and giving them specific AI-generated tasks. However, teachers must monitor student progress and adequately supplement online learning sessions with class discussions and collaborative activities.
A worry for teachers is that students will completely outsource their learning to AI and not use it to write essays or math answers. Some schools are expanding the concept of “flipped learning,” moving away from asking students to write essays at home, which is more amenable to AI. Instead, homework is used to cover the learning material (potentially with the help of AI), and class time is used to deepen and test students' understanding through discussion, problem-solving, and supervised writing.
AI-assisted tools can help make learning more efficient and enable more creative ways to teach subjects: students can converse with avatars in foreign languages, visit the International Space Station using virtual reality headsets, and collaborate on music and art using AI software.
Indeed, the pervasiveness of AI not just in education but throughout the workplace will require a rethinking of what and how we teach in schools. The instant access that information technology provides should enable a shift away from rote memorization and toward nurturing students' ability to apply knowledge and skills.
AI-assisted education offers the potential to increase teacher productivity and fill the shortage of skilled staff, especially in poorer regions and countries. But to reap the full benefits of the technology without compromising existing educational standards, teachers, schools and governments also need to adapt.
