Educational Obsolescence: Revolutionizing Learning with AI

Our education system was designed during the Industrial Revolution; built to produce a literate, disciplined workforce tailored to that era’s needs. But in today’s world of rapid technological change and instantly accessible knowledge, that model is outdated. We need creative, tech-savvy, and human-centric thinkers who can design innovative solutions for the future. AI-powered education can drive this transformation, but it requires widespread support and a fundamental shift in our approach to learning.

An Urgent Need for Reform

In the coming decade, AI integration will redefine industries worldwide. Yet, many schools and universities are lagging, clinging to outdated, technology-resistant curricula. 20% of K-12 schools still ban students from using generative AI, with another 7% extending these restrictions to educators.¹ Even in institutions without formal bans, resistance to change remains high. A Wiley survey found that “...fewer than half (45%) of students say they’ve used AI in their classes in the past year. Only 15% of instructors say the same.”²

Figure 1. AI is underutilized, especially by instructors. www.wiley.com/en-us/network/education/instructors/teaching-strategies/the-latest-insights-into-academic-integrity-instructor-and-student-experiences-attitudes-and-the-impact-of-ai-2024-update.

It’s as if we had invented the internet and told students and educators they couldn’t use it. By resisting AI, we limit what students can learn and leave graduates unprepared for an AI-driven economy. Without implementing AI in education, we actively choose to slow human progress.

To adequately educate students, we need a complete system overhaul. This new model will bifurcate scholastic and social learning, shifting teachers’ roles toward human development rather than rote instruction.

Restructuring Education with AI

“Teachers are given an impossible job in a broken system.”

-McKenzie Price, founder of Alpha School

Today’s education system is not designed to support individual learning. In the United States, public school classes average 17 students per teacher.³ Coupled with a teacher shortage, where 1 in 8 roles are unfilled or filled by under-certified teachers,⁴ personalized learning is nearly impossible. Educators are forced to teach to the average, leaving some students behind and others unchallenged.

AI Enables Highly Personalized Learning

Instead, AI learning offers highly personalized learning focused on mastery, not completion.⁵ Programs like Alpha School, an AI-based private school alternative, have revolutionized education, ensuring that each student’s schedule is optimized for maximum effectiveness.

In this model, students interact for two hours a day with an AI algorithm that trains them in core subjects like math, science, reading, social studies, and language. Rather than being trapped in an inefficient, one-size-fits-all classroom, students learn at their own pace. If a student breezes through grammar but struggles with arithmetic, the system learns and adjusts accordingly.

The results have been impressive. On average, Alpha students improve 2.6x faster than their peers on standardized MAP tests, which are national measures of core subject knowledge. ⁶

AI-Based Learning Expands Global Access

AI-powered education can also dismantle traditional barriers to learning. With 68% of the world online, high-quality educational tools can now reach students globally. Just as the internet expanded who had access to education, AI can expand the quality of that education. Underserved communities that once relied on low-budget resources can now access world-class learning experiences.

A World Bank-sponsored after-school program in Nigeria illustrates this promise. In just six weeks, students randomly selected for an AI-based tutoring program achieved learning gains equivalent to two years of traditional schooling, outperforming peers in the traditional group by 0.3 standard deviations.⁷

Figure 2. AI-based learning outperforms traditional programs. blogs.worldbank.org/en/education/From-chalkboards-to-chatbots-Transforming-learning-in-Nigeria

Notably, the success of this program extended beyond the set curriculum. In final exams, the AI-tutored students continued to excel. The World Bank postulates, “...students who learned to engage effectively with AI may have leveraged these skills to explore and master other topics independently.”⁸ This is a testament to the compounding power of AI: it enables students to become self-directed, lifelong learners.

The Role of Teachers

In an AI-driven education system, teachers become more important, but their responsibilities shift. Educators must now focus on developing uniquely human skills: critical thinking, communication, leadership, teamwork, empathy, and resilience. Instead of rote memorization, students must learn to wield AI as a cognitive amplifier, learning to outsource tasks like summarization and research while sharpening their ability to generate original insights.

AI Supercharges Deeper Learning

As AI becomes ubiquitous, we are entering an era of unmetered intelligence, where human-level thinking is instantly accessible at a fraction of traditional costs. Research happens faster, and specialized knowledge is increasingly democratized.

The misconception that this is a shortcut, rather than an amplifier of human potential, hinders adoption. Just as we teach proper citation to leverage external sources while preventing plagiarism, we can teach students to use AI-generated content with integrity. This allows students to automate the mundane and focus on creative thinking.

Crucially, unlike static internet information retrieval, AI is a dynamic collaborator. By engaging with the technology and posing follow-up questions, students deepen their understanding of topics and explore alternative angles. This iterative process fosters critical thinking, as students learn to evaluate AI outputs and build upon them with their own unique perspectives.

The Rise of Alternative Education

In addition to critical thinking, educators must prioritize other social, humanistic skills. Alternative education models like Montessori, Waldorf, and the Alpha School already embrace this philosophy by emphasizing personal and group experimental learning, problem-solving, and creativity – skills that AI cannot replace. As AI reshapes traditional education, these models will be an increasingly popular source of inspiration for teachers.

Figure 3. Alternative learning is becoming increasingly popular in academic research. link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10648-019-09483-3

The Path Forward

Education in the next decade will experience dramatic shifts. While change can be daunting, we are at an exciting inflection point. By using AI to personalize scholastic learning, and relying on teachers for social development, we will optimize future generations for success. Today’s students, with education optimized for deep engagement and human qualities, will use technology to lead societal transformation, from medical breakthroughs to climate solutions and beyond.

Share Your Thoughts With Us!

Thank you for imagining The Next Renaissance with us.

We’d love to hear your thoughts. What excites or concerns you about AI’s role in expanding human potential? Leave a comment or question below, and we’ll do our best to respond directly or write about the topic in an upcoming post.

1. Education Week. (2024, February). Schools are taking too long to craft AI policy — Why that’s a problem. Retrieved from https://www.edweek.org/technology/schools-are-taking-too-long-to-craft-ai-policy-why-thats-a-problem/2024/02.

2. Wiley Newsroom. (2024). AI has hurt academic integrity in college courses, but can also enhance learning, say instructors, students. Retrieved from https://newsroom.wiley.com/press-releases/press-release-details/2024/AI-Has-Hurt-Academic-Integrity-in-College-Courses-but-Can-Also-Enhance-Learning-Say-Instructors-Students/default.aspx.

3. National Center for Education Statistics. (2024). Number and percentage of public schools that had teaching vacancies, by field and state: 2021–22. U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ntps/estable/table/ntps/ntps2021_sflt07_t1s.

4. Learning Policy Institute. (2024). Understanding and addressing state teacher shortages: Vacancy resource tool. Retrieved from https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/state-teacher-shortages-vacancy-resource-tool-2024.

5. Netguru. (2024). AI in education: How artificial intelligence is changing teaching and learning. Retrieved from https://www.netguru.com/blog/ai-in-education.

6. Alpha School. (2024). Alpha School. Retrieved from https://alpha.school.

7. World Bank. (2024). From chalkboards to chatbots: Transforming learning in Nigeria. Retrieved from https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/education/From-chalkboards-to-chatbots-Transforming-learning-in-Nigeria.

8. World Bank. (2024). From chalkboards to chatbots: Transforming learning in Nigeria. Retrieved from https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/education/From-chalkboards-to-chatbots-Transforming-learning-in-Nigeria.