Artificial Intelligence: I Think It’s The World’s Most Patient Teacher
Over the past few weeks, I’ve written about some of the challenges surrounding artificial intelligence, its enormous appetite for electricity, the strain it may place on our power grid, and the possibility that some jobs will change or even disappear. Those conversations are important. But this week, I’d like to look atAI from a different perspective.
What if one of its greatest contributions isn’t replacing people, but helping people learn? Think back to your own school days. Most of us had at least one subject that simply didn’t “click.” Maybe it was algebra, chemistry, or learning a foreign language. A classroom teacher does the very best they can, but with twenty or thirty students, there’s only so much one-on-one time available.
From my years teaching history at the college level, some of my greatest rewards came when I could almost see “the light come on.” A student would suddenly move beyond memorizing kings, queens, and dates to understanding the continuum of history, how one event influences another and how people, ideas, and decisions shape the world we inherit. Every teacher treasures those moments because no two students learn in exactly the same way.
That’s where artificial intelligence has the potential to become an extraordinary educational tool. It allows students to keep asking “why?” and “how?” until they begin to see the connections for themselves. Imagine a student struggling with algebra. AI can explain the same problem one way, then another, until it finally makes sense. It never gets frustrated or says, “We’ve already covered this.” It simply keeps teaching.
The benefits don’t stop with students.Adults can useAI to practice Spanish before a vacation, learn a new computer program, or understand a complicated insurance form. Farmers can ask questions about soil conditions, pests, irrigation, or equipment repairs without waiting for business hours. Someone with dyslexia can have documents read aloud. Seniors who feel uncomfortable asking “simple” technology questions can learn privately and at their own pace. Of course, AI will never replace a great teacher. The encouragement, wisdom, and personal connection educators provide are uniquely human. AI is simply another tool, one that allows teachers to spend more time inspiring students and less time repeating the same lesson. For perhaps the first time in history, nearly everyone has access to a tutor who never gets tired, never becomes impatient, and is available at two o’clock in the morning.
Lisa Musick of Praha is a writer, historian and welcomes feedback and questions via email at: lisa@lisamusick.com