LocationsWill AI Pass with Flying Colors?
By Faisal Bari | Associate Professor of Economics & Education, Lahore University of Management Sciences & CEO/Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Development & Economic Alternatives
If we are to use AI effectively, to deliver on its promise, we will have to train and, or, retrain most of the teachers.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) enthusiasts are excited about what AI will be able to do in education. Many, especially teachers, fear what the advent of AI, in education, could mean for their jobs. But, as of now, the conversation is at the level of possibilities and fears only, as few seem to know what the real potential of AI in education is.
AI in education seems to be promising four main things. AI based education system can widen access to educational services, it can ensure access to quality education, it can create individualized learning pathways for individuals, and it is expected to be a lot more cost effective compared to the systems we have. So, AI could make access to quality education for all more of a possibility and could do it cheaper than what countries are doing it for right now. This is, at least for now, the promise.
If any or all of the above happen, or happen to a degree even, it will definitely mean major changes in the education landscape and educational systems. The current roles of schools, universities, teachers, pedagogical practices, examinations, and ways of learning, all will change and quite significantly.
The above have not yet happened in high-income countries even: there too we are largely talking of potential and only early forays are being made. There will need to be a lot of work that will be needed before major changes, if any, come to developing countries like Pakistan.
We will need significant investments in internet and information technology infrastructure before AI based systems can be reachable even for students enrolled in schools and universities. To make them accessible to out-of-school children, the investments in internet, devices and other infrastructure will have to be even more extensive. As of now, it is hard to have enough bandwidth to provide decent speed and stable internet even in major cities like Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, to do so in smaller cities or rural areas is not possible right now and will take time and significant effort from the government.
Karachi's Happy Palace private school introduces Anny, Pakistan’s first-ever AI-powered robot teacher, marking a revolutionary step in education.
Most teachers, currently, do not know of the possibilities AI opens up or are afraid of what AI might mean for their jobs and profession. At a minimum many feel AI will lower their status from ‘teacher’ to a ‘facilitator’. They will no longer be the figure of knowledge and authority in class, they will just be a monitor or facilitator of one sort or another. At the extreme, many feel teachers will be replaced by AI-based agents. AI agents will be able to ‘guide’ and educate students better, they would even be able to counsel students better and, maybe, even be better role models for students. If AI agents get this sophisticated, economics and cost reasons will certainly drive displacement of human teachers.
But, fear aside, AI opens up new avenues for structuring education. Our teachers are not trained in information technology (IT) and use of AI. IT and AI are alien to most of them and hence induce even more fear. If we are to use AI effectively, to deliver on its promise, we will have to train and, or, retrain most of the teachers. IT and AI has to become a tool that teachers internalize in their thinking about teaching, actual teaching and in their pedagogical practices. This will require major medium-term and sustained training programs for current and future teachers.
There is a difference in the use of AI in schools versus universities. In schools AI should come into schools and teaching through teachers and, or, integrated into teaching and learning through school designed systems. Whereas in universities faculty and university administration should do that, but a lot of AI possibilities can be used by the students directly and on their own. Students over 18, are mature, have more autonomy and, hence, should have more responsibility as well.
The future is always hard to predict. In times when change is fast, it is even harder to predict. We are at the start of the AI intervention. It is, as of now, hard to see the depth and breadth of what might be possible through AI in education. But a few things are still clear. We will need a lot of investments in infrastructure, devices and teachers to exploit the AI potential in any meaningful sense. AI will be disruptive, it is hard to see the extent of it right now, but it will definitely be disruptive. Fear of AI will only make matters worse. Educationists, teachers and policymakers will need to embrace possibilities openly and in the spirit of experimentation and learning. Only then will we know what the potential is and only then will teachers be able to utilize it effectively.