The big question on AI in education

TWENTY-FIRST century classrooms are changing. Fast.

The potential of generative artificial intelligence or AI to transform how we live our lives is infinite.

Education is one of the sectors most affected by the advent of large-language model chatbots such as ChatGPT and rapid strides in digital technologies that are making their way into education systems and changing the way education is structured and disseminated.

The application of AI technologies in education has many benefits such as enhancing personalised learning for children, automation of time-heavy tasks for educators such as curriculum design and assessing student performance and has the potential to make education more entertaining and relevant to student needs, while freeing up time for teachers to focus on improving student experiences within the classroom.

These developments are redefining, on the one hand, how young people learn and on the other, the kind of jobs they'll be entering in the future. Many of these jobs do not yet exist.

Preparing future generations to stay relevant and competitive for the future of work is the big challenge faced by educators.

"Catch them young" seems to be the mantra. Researchers in Hong Kong developed an AI for kids programme in 2022 that applies machine learning to create interactive educational and culturally sensitive content for preschoolers.

South Korea will introduce AI textbooks in primary, middle and high schools across the country in 2025 in a bid to establish its position as a global education leader through digitising education.

But there are fears that such advances may increase digital inequity in lower and middle-income countries and perpetuate biases embedded within historical data fed into AI systems that exacerbate existing inequalities.

Countries like India are dealing with the evergreen issue of plagiarism in education and research, requiring not just more robust detection tools but also raising questions about young people's capacities to think critically.

The solution may not just be in creating more robust AI detection software but transforming existing educational models to enhance critical thinking, problem-solving and collaborative communication using AI to better prepare students to be future-ready job creators.

The larger debate about whether AI in education is a boon or bane, however, remains largely unresolved.

The real question is whether we are prepared for the challenges thrown up by these unprecedented changes as educators and administrators, societies and governments.

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