This personal reflection is part of a series called Turning Points, in which writers explore what critical moments from this year might mean for the year ahead. You can read more by visiting the Turning Points series page.
Turning Point: The U.N. issued an alert warning of a global teacher shortage after a UNESCO report found that 40 million additional teachers will be needed worldwide by 2030 to meet the Sustainable Development Goal on education.
When large-scale change happens quickly, humans often fear the worst. Evolution has conditioned us to anticipate predators, and today artificial intelligence is the predator many of us see.
It’s easy to buy into the idea that A.I. will take away jobs. I led the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in what now seems like A.I.’s teenage years, and I can say firsthand that the fear of machines taking over is not new. My generation believed the invention of the first hand-held calculator would upend learning. Instead, it democratized numeracy, equipping students with tools to solve problems faster, freeing them to focus on higher-level reasoning instead of basic number crunching.
Artificial intelligence has the same potential to revolutionize education by enhancing teachers’ capabilities and enabling them to tailor learning paths to individual students in ways we never thought possible. This potential for transformation is amplified when A.I. is integrated with digital education, giving it real-time access to rich data on how students are learning.
It’s natural to worry about change. The unknown often feels like a threat. But history has taught us an undeniable lesson: Instinctually building walls to protect ourselves only delays the inevitable. Those walls will be climbed, and they will fall. Adaptability, not defense, is the greatest skill we can have to stay relevant in a constantly evolving world. For teachers like me, this means dismissing doomsday predictions and reframing our mind-set: A.I. isn’t here to replace us; if used responsibly, it’s here to help us become “superteachers.”
Consider self-driving car technology. In most cases, drivers are still present, but hybrid technologies, like cruise control, lane departure warnings, automatic braking and parking assists, are augmenting human effort and reshaping what it means to be behind the wheel. The same phenomenon is happening in the classroom. Teachers remain while A.I.-enabled tools — such as tutors, advisers, graders, curriculum navigators and translators — begin to appear, freeing instructors from repetitive tasks and administrative duties. This shift lets teachers focus on what really matters: engaging and inspiring students while improving education quality and access.
Of course, evolution is gradual. In the short term, A.I. will help teachers create lesson plans, find illustrative examples and generate quizzes tailored to each student. Customized problem sets will serve as tools to combat cheating while A.I. provides instant feedback.
In the longer term, it’s possible to imagine a world where A.I. can ingest rich learner data and create personalized learning paths for students, all within a curriculum established by the teacher. Teachers can continue to be deeply involved in fostering student discussions, guiding group projects and engaging their students, while A.I. handles grading and uses the Socratic method to help students discover answers on their own. Teachers provide encouragement and one-on-one support when needed, using their newfound availability to give students some extra care.
That’s the future we’re stepping into. In fact, we’ve already seen glimpses of it. On edX, an A.I.-powered learning assistant is embedded in a global online learning platform, providing individualized 24/7 academic support to students, from lecture summaries to quizzes. Khan Academy has partnered with Microsoft to launch Khanmigo for Teachers, an A.I. tool that helps prepare lessons for class, analyze student performance and recommend assignments. Other A.I.-driven adaptive learning systems can adjust the difficulty of problem sets based on student performance and flag gaps in understanding before a teacher even notices them.
I’ve been an M.I.T. professor for 36 years, and during that time, one constant has been the sheer amount of manual work that detracts from teaching and engaging with students. I’ve spent untold hours grading, reviewing assignments and preparing materials, which while useful, are not the parts of teaching that speak to and inspire students. These tasks can be automated. For centuries, we’ve relied on large lecture halls and rigid curricula, assuming that all students learn the same way. A.I. offers a pathway out of the box, giving us the chance to create classrooms where learning is personalized and dynamic.
We, as educators, can harness A.I. and use it to transform our classrooms into environments where students don’t fall through the cracks. In these A.I.-enhanced classrooms, we can spot when a student is struggling and provide the support they need in real time, long before they consider dropping out. We can instantly offer substantive feedback on assignments, freeing us from the endless grading cycle and giving us more time to connect with our students.
Let’s be clear: A.I. will never replace the human touch that is so vital to education. No algorithm can replicate the empathy, creativity and passion a teacher brings to the classroom. But A.I. can certainly amplify those qualities. It can be our co-pilot, our chief of staff helping us extend our reach and improve our effectiveness.
So let’s do it. Let’s become superteachers.
Let’s become fluent in A.I. and use it as a force multiplier of our skills to expand our impact.
Let’s do away with one-size-fits-all presentations that have dominated education for too long and tailor education to each student’s unique needs.
Let’s revive a love of lifelong learning that has been stifled by outdated models of teaching.
Whether you’re a teacher evolving into a superteacher or another kind of professional navigating a changing workplace, your ability to adapt will always be your greatest asset. As we move forward, let’s embrace the opportunities A.I. presents and seize this moment of transformation.
After all, the future belongs to those who are ready to evolve.
The post How A.I. Can Revive a Love of Learning appeared first on New York Times.
