Transcription
Artificial intelligence is changing the way we learn, and it's doing so faster than schools and universities can react. There are big promises. Learning could become easier, fairer, and more accessible. But there are also concerns. Unchecked, creativity and critical thinking could suffer. So, the big question is, how can we use AI to help us learn?
Every day, millions of people around the world use AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude. The models answer questions, write texts, and even help with coding. In the world of education, some see them as a total game-changer, while others fear the end of human intelligence itself. Hani Farit, a professor at Berkeley and a leading researcher on AI deepfakes, doesn't believe in the extremes.
"What are the two extremes? You ban it. You're not allowed to use this. First of all, you won't be able to ban it, so it doesn't work. But that's silly. Or do whatever you want. I don't care. Neither of those work. So, we've got to find, like everything else, moderation, right? How do we use it responsibly? And it's very different. When I teach an intro course, I have different rules than when I teach my highly graduate course. Completely different rules because by the time they come to my graduate-level course, they know everything, or they should. So, I give them more leeway there. But if you're in an intro course, no, you've got to do this on your own. You've got to use this thing. This thing still has to develop."
Learning how to learn. That's what schools are about. In Estonia, AI is now officially part of that process. The idea is to help students boost their creativity and critical thinking and free up teachers by cutting out admin tasks. Recently, all 10th and 11th graders were given access to ChatGPT Edu, a version specifically designed for education. We visited a high school in Tallinn to see it in action.
It's time for German class at Mustamäe Gymnasium in Tallinn. "Write three sentences about your summer without ChatGPT. Then ask the AI to correct them." High school German lessons supported by AI, the EDU version of ChatGPT that is programmed specifically for education. It offers school-friendly features like personalized tutoring. But AI is nothing new for the students here.
"I am using ChatGPT, for example, to make the tasks easier. If, for example, in math, I don't know how to solve it, then I will ask ChatGPT, can you explain it to me? Or if it's still too hard, I will ask, can you explain it to me on a high schooler level?"
Estonia is leading the way in AI-powered education and the first country to introduce it nationwide. One in four Estonians actively use ChatGPT already. Officials believe it will prepare younger generations for the jobs of the future. German teacher Carmen Kissell sees the potential for AI learning, but also the limits. In her language class, communication is key. And that's where, for her, AI often falls short. AI-based tasks must be carefully designed, she says. "If you just let a student search for an answer to a question, AI will simply provide it. Tasks must be thoughtfully prepared so that AI supports learning instead of replacing it. That means more prep work for the teacher. And if you think that AI itself provides great teaching methods, it doesn't. The teacher has to think carefully about how to structure the lessons so that AI actually brings added value."
Many teachers still lack the knowledge to use AI effectively in the classroom, says educational technologist Emma Luresam. For now, most use it to plan lessons rather than teach them.
"Many of the teachers in our house have said, like, I have no idea what to do for the classroom. Uh, they go to ChatGPT, ask for a lesson plan, they get something from there, then they know how to start building up their lesson. In that way, it really helps."
But AI can do more than just prep work. It can answer basic questions, freeing up time for deeper discussion in class.
"In the classroom, of course, yeah, maybe the teacher is a, a quicker, uh, way to get your answers, but they need to learn how to teach themselves and be responsible for their studies. We have so much knowledge. Uh, students need to know how to find it."
With AI in schools, digital literacy is more essential than ever. Students need to know how to fact-check AI responses and protect their personal data.
"Last week, uh, we were told, 'Yeah, please don't put valuable information there.' But, uh, only like a few of us heard it. So, like, maybe 30-50 people, not the entire school. So I think that's something that should be more discussed about."
According to OpenAI, chats and uploaded content in ChatGPT Edu are not used to train their models. Everything is encrypted. A major difference from the free version.
In India, AI and computational thinking will be taught as early as the third grade, starting in the new school year. This makes India one of the first countries to integrate AI into primary schools. But it's not just the children who have to keep up with AI. The ambitious plan encompasses some 10 million teachers and 250 million students, all gearing up for the digital economy.
One initial test involves AI software designed to better compare student performance. In this classroom, the children are learning to identify shapes and patterns. Their work is not graded as usual. Instead, the teacher takes a photo and uploads it to an AI-powered app.
"I got a brief and overview. How the children have performed that activity, whether they have performed it properly or not. What level is that child into? Like, whether he is a proficient child or a beginner child or a progressing child."
The app also suggests suitable activities and teaching strategies for each child based on their individual learning level. This AI tool is designed to personalize learning in classrooms where one teacher is responsible for many children. The commercial platform Chrysalis is already being used up to 8th grade in thousands of Indian schools.
"So, if we have technology also which is also helping us, giving a lot of areas of improvement, suggestions, and things like that for a child to develop, for a teacher also, when she's catering to such a big audience, for her also it becomes difficult to know each and every child that closely. So that is where the AI comes in and it personalizes the learning for our kids."
For the students of today, using AI tools will be as natural as using a calculator.
"It has opened a world of information for me in a way, like it's like interacting with a lot of people who have gained a lot of knowledge since years, and I just feel like talking to them all the time so that I also gain the same knowledge."
For computer scientist Anupa Gupta, AI is a game-changer for education but should be used with caution.
"As humans, we have a natural tendency sometimes to follow a shortest path. Now, if as a student, I start adopting a shortest path and say that I have to do this assignment and let me just look at the solution and ask the solution from an LLM tool or an AI tool and then incorporate it in my solution. So that means my inherent skill that I should build up as part of my curriculum or my training of critical thinking is actually being hampered."
But Gupta remains optimistic nonetheless. With proper training, the risks can be managed. At Sapphire School, teachers are trained regularly on integrating AI into their teaching while also guiding students to use it responsibly. One thing's for sure: AI learning tools are here to stay. And if they aren't integrated officially, students will just use them in secret.
In the UK, AI-related cheating cases have tripled in just one year. In the US, too, universities are seeing a major rise in unauthorized AI use as they struggle to find the right response. Stress and time pressure make AI a tempting shortcut for students, especially when it seems like everyone else is using it to get better grades. But the quality of work often declines, says Rebecca Winthrop. She's a leading expert on the use of AI in higher education.
"Before ChatGPT came out, uh, the papers students gave to us were much stronger. Students had many, many different ideas, unique ideas, and then after, um, ChatGPT came out, the ideas were sort of all clustered around, were less diverse."
A recent study of over 1,000 students in the US showed that nearly half use AI in a way that violates university rules, and many don't even see it as a problem. AI makes plagiarism and cheating easier, which means educators have to invest valuable time to verify sources because this is not the point of education. Professors don't want to be detectives. Students aren't criminals. Like, it, it, it takes away the trusting relationship between teachers and learners.
But educators also need support with AI integration. To reduce the influence of AI tools, some instructors are shifting towards in-class exams, group work, and presentations—practical projects that AI cannot easily replicate. Universities are about critical thinking, not finding a shortcut to a degree. In the workforce, it quickly becomes clear who actually understands the material.
But that doesn't mean AI tools are taboo. If used correctly, they can be incredibly helpful for learning.
"I had a student in my office right here, um, the other day showing me what, um, what she does with ChatGPT. So, I have what's called a flip classroom. They watch my videos on their own time, and they come to class, and we do discussion and exercises and Q&A questions and answers. And so what she does is, while she's watching my video, she's asking ChatGPT questions. She's saying, 'Honey said this. What does that mean? Give me an example of that. Test me on this. Oh, I don't understand what that means.' It's amazing. She has like a private tutor for just every single video for the entire semester. This, it's, it's incredible, if you ask me."
I don't think AI will be all that different to the technologies that came before it. If used correctly and in the right hands, it can make life easier. But true innovation still requires human inspiration, something algorithms can't really provide.
But what do you think? Let us know. That's all from me this week. See you next time on Shift.