AI and the Future of Education: Key Insights from Preston Shaw

In this week’s episode of Move 37 Podcast, host Stephen Walther sits down with Priten Shah, author of the bestselling book AI and the Future of Education and CEO of Pedagogy.Cloud. The discussion centers around the transformative impact of generative AI on education and raises fundamental questions about the future of teaching, homework, assessments, and social-emotional learning.

Will AI Replace Teachers?

Shah firmly believes AI will not replace teachers. He emphasizes that teaching is inherently human, involving authentic empathy, emotional connection, and personalized accountability—qualities AI currently cannot replicate effectively. Teachers provide essential human interaction, mentorship, and emotional support, crucial for student development.

From Generators to Evaluators

Shah highlights a pivotal shift in education: from teaching students primarily to generate content to focusing on evaluating AI-generated content. With AI capable of handling tasks such as writing, coding, and research, future workers will need stronger evaluation skills to effectively manage, supervise, and refine AI outputs.

Homework in an AI World

The podcast explores whether traditional homework still makes sense in the age of generative AI tools like ChatGPT, which easily handles assignments such as essay writing, math problems, and language translations. Shah suggests rethinking homework’s purpose:

• Assessment vs. Practice: Homework used purely for assessment may be outdated due to the ease of AI-driven cheating. Instead, homework should serve as practice and preparation for in-class assessments.
• Equity Concerns: Unequal access to advanced AI tools may create educational disparities among students.

The Future of Assessments

Shah cautions against overly relying on standardized tests as a response to potential AI-driven cheating, warning it could worsen existing educational fractures. Instead, he advocates for:

• Mastery-based learning with formative assessments.
• Continuous evaluation to track understanding and progress rather than one-time high-stakes testing.

Rethinking Writing and Essay Assignments

Shah suggests it’s essential to reevaluate whether traditional tasks like essay writing remain relevant. While students might not frequently write from scratch in their careers, the skills involved—such as organizing thoughts and articulating arguments—remain valuable for developing evaluative capabilities.

AI and Administrative Tasks

Teachers overwhelmed by administrative duties could significantly benefit from AI:

• Lesson Planning: AI can quickly generate lesson plans, exercises, and activities.
• Communication: AI can draft professional parent-teacher emails and personalized student feedback.
• Formative Feedback: AI could handle repetitive grading and feedback, freeing teachers to focus more on direct student interaction.

Social-Emotional Learning and AI

While acknowledging potential ethical concerns, Shah discusses AI’s capability to assist in social-emotional learning by providing real-time feedback on students’ collaborative interactions. Though initially perceived as intrusive, careful ethical oversight could help mitigate risks, making AI a valuable supportive tool for enhancing classroom interactions and group work accountability.

Advice for Educators Navigating AI

For educators feeling overwhelmed:

• Institutional Support: Schools and administrators should provide structured time and resources for teacher training on AI.
• Personal Exploration: Teachers should experiment with AI in low-risk settings—such as lesson preparation or personal tasks—to become comfortable with the technology.
• Foundation Building: Summer breaks or dedicated PD sessions could be excellent opportunities to gain foundational AI knowledge through accessible resources and books like Shah’s AI and the Future of Education.

This podcast episode underscores that, while AI presents challenges to traditional educational paradigms, it also offers significant opportunities for educators and students to enhance learning experiences and outcomes in meaningful and human-centered ways.