Continuing my thoughts on AI and education, I truly believe the more AI we use, the more teachers we need.
Learning has always been more than transferring information. A good teacher does not simply explain concepts. They build confidence and create belonging. They notice when a student is struggling, they adapt, motivate and connect. There is an emotional dimension to learning that no chatbot can replicate.
Recently, while preparing a proposal for a client in the education sector, I caught myself thinking about how much time AI saves me in operational work and I wondered if teachers were already using it in the same way. Not to teach for them, but to free them from repetitive tasks so they can focus on the human side of teaching.
I asked two friends. One works at an AI-powered learning platform that helps teachers create lesson plans, assessments, accessibility adaptations, and classroom materials. The other is a teacher.
The developer told me teachers consistently report that they have more time to focus on relationships and learning experiences which has in return made their students more engaged.
My teacher friend gave an even simpler answer: "We can't run away from AI. That's pointless. We need to learn how to use it as a tool, not as something that thinks for us. And we need to use it so we can prepare our students for this new era."
And I think that captures the challenge perfectly.