Classroom Revolution: AI Won’t Replace Teachers

Artificial intelligence (AI) is unlikely to replace teachers in the near future, according to Bard, Google’s conversational chatbot. While AI can perform many tasks that were once the sole domain of humans, it still lags behind in complex areas that require a blend of technical and socio-emotional skills. However, AI is forcing educators to reimagine education as a vehicle for democratising thinking and knowing. About 40% of the world’s population is under 24, and if schools fail to prepare this generation for the age of thinking machines, the consequences on social and economic peace may be dire. AI has the potential to underpin positive transformation in education, but it also has a high potential for harm. Generative AI could help students cheat in exams, while AI chatbots often throw up results that are sexist, racist and factually incorrect. To prepare students for technology and AI, educators should guide them to ask better questions and inspire them to be curious. Additionally, as AI heralds rapid transformation and change in labour markets, socio-emotional skills like adaptability should become central to curricula. Teachers should aim to plant the seeds of adaptability in the hearts and minds of students.