AI Can’t Replace Teaching, But It Can Make It Better
September 19, 2024
These days it feels as if AI is everywhere—from chatbots helping with customer service to apps reminding us to drink water. So it’s no surprise that AI has been making its way into classrooms. But here’s the big question: can AI replace teachers? Spoiler alert—it can’t.
A new article by Wired called AI Can’t Replace Teaching, but It Can Make It Better, dives into how AI can be used in schools. Tools like ChatGPT, Writable, Socratic, and others are popping up to help “generate quizzes, summarize key points in a complex reading, offer step-by-step graphing of algebraic equations, and provide feedback on the first draft of an essay, among other tasks.”
The latest generation of AI makes use of natural language processing to understand student inquiries and respond in a conversational manner, which makes it a very helpful tool. The article relates how an AI assistant called Originin was being tested out in real time by teachers.
One science teacher used Origin to pull up interesting videos and answer random student questions while he walked around the class and engaged with his students. Here’s the thing: even with all the tech, what makes us wish we’d had this science teacher in high school isn’t his access to tech, but his enthusiasm for teaching.
A teacher who is engaged with their class, interacting with them and picking up on their energy—when they’re confused or uninterested or sidetracked—is something AI simply can’t match.
The key takeaway? AI might be helpful with handling the boring stuff, but when it comes to keeping students engaged and motivated, we need the human connection, and that’s where human teachers shine.
At best, AI can be used to help teachers, not replace them. And it’s the same for us writers! AI tools like Grammarly or ChatGPT can give us a hand with editing or coming up with ideas, but they’re never going to replace the creativity that we bring to the table.
No matter how advanced AI gets, it’s still people—teachers, writers, creators—who make the magic happen. And that’s something we can all feel pretty good about.
