The lies we tell ourselves about AI in education

?? Teachers will not be replaced by AI

Like all myths, this one is made up of smaller myths. These include:

- AI is just another tool for teachers to use

- AI cannot be creative

- AI cannot know your students like you do

- AI cannot be as good as pedagogy as you

We seem to have reached a collective stage of bargaining with AI [Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, “7 Stages of Grief”]. Perhaps it's even a misunderstanding of this technology?

It will.

The impending wave of AI progress we're poised to encounter in the forthcoming months promises a radical departure from anything we've previously experienced.

Students bringing mobile phones into classrooms will soon be nostalgically referred to as the "good old days." In this forthcoming epoch, every student will possess a personal AI, an intuitive tool attuned to their individual needs, serving them in innovative and unanticipated ways. So, how should we respond? Ban them?

In recent months, I've received skeptical remarks. The reason? I proposed that the singularity—the critical juncture at which Artificial Intelligence surpasses human intelligence—is looming closer than most care to acknowledge. This is not a baseless conjecture, but a careful inference drawn from my reading of experts intimately engaged with AI.

This seismic shift in our understanding of technology and intelligence is barreling towards us with an urgency we may underestimate, poised to upend our current reality.

I've attended numerous conferences where discussions about AI were rooted in limited knowledge of basic AI tools. Attendees envisage a future where AI is a handy adjunct, a tool that augments traditional teaching without disturbing the fundamental role of the educator. It's an understandable conclusion as it's what we've always done.

For decades, the education system has demonstrated a remarkable agility in sidestepping dramatic transformation. It adeptly cherry-picks features from new technologies that conveniently enhance and strengthen the existing structure, while simultaneously maintaining a sturdy barrier against disruptive innovation. Consider our reaction to COVID-19: we transferred traditional classroom lessons onto a video conferencing platform and prematurely celebrated it as an "innovation."

Now, we find ourselves at another crossroad. However, this time around, our old tactics will prove ineffective. But why?

Reflect for a moment on why Blockbusters ceased operations, why Nokia phones vanished from the market, or why the horse and carriage became a relic of the past.

Simply put, something superior replaced them.

What is superior to school?

A grim picture of the current educational landscape in England has emerged.?

One in three students did not pass their English or Maths GCSE last year. With student mental health issues reaching record highs and the retention of teachers becoming an increasing problem, it's clear the system is straining under a mammoth workload.

Furthermore, we're tasked with an outdated, arbitrary curriculum that fails to resonate with students. It's forcibly implemented, disregarding the evolving needs of our modern world. Employers have grown weary, repeatedly requesting that education systems equip students with employable skills.

Evidently, our educational approach is training our children for a world that's fading into the annals of history.

Artificial Intelligence promises a new era of personalised, adaptive, and creative learning. It offers a tireless, intelligent resource that far surpasses the limitations of human teachers.

What about the social side to school?

Children need a daytime haven, a sentiment echoed by the experiences from the COVID lockdowns and school closures. This has led to a bold proposition: what if we need not schools, but vibrant social centres where our children can interact freely?

Social interactions are not a luxury, but a necessity, a cornerstone of a fulfilling life.

What will a teacher become?

This opens up a new question: what will be the role of a teacher in this scenario?

In this transformative landscape, a teacher could become a facilitator for social interaction and collaboration.?

They would act as architects of environments that inspire students to bring learning to life, not merely as conveyors of information.?

Their role would evolve into character sculptors, shaping young minds to navigate the world of tomorrow.

What do you think about the future of teachers in the new AI world? Share this newsletter and your thoughts on social media.