Curious, Not Captive: Educating in an AI Age
In every generation, someone promises that technology will ‘revolutionise’ education. First it was computers, then phones, then online learning. Now, some are suggesting artificial intelligence will finally replace the teacher, personalise every lesson and upend the classroom.
In reality, education rarely changes in revolutions. It evolves. Slowly. Carefully. Schools are not machines, they are ecosystems of people, relationships and communities. Nevertheless, generative AI is powerful. From co-writing essays to tutoring in multiple languages, it can personalise practice, provide feedback and support learners in ways we could not have imagined 18 months ago.
In my own Mathematics classroom, I encourage students to use AI to generate revision exams tailored to topics they find difficult; complete with worked solutions. I have also used it to help plan lessons that build on prior learning and to uncover common misconceptions before they arise. These are examples of how technology, when used with purpose and discernment, can amplify good teaching and deepen learning.
Yet, we know that when used uncritically, AI can undermine genuine learning. It risks narrowing student thinking, reducing the value of sustained effort and turning assessment into a hollow exercise. In the worst-case scenario, perhaps one we are already facing, students go through the motions of writing essays and teachers go through the motions of marking them, with neither fully engaged in meaningful learning!
The skill our boys need is not just how to use AI, but how to think with it: ethically, discerningly, creatively. So rather than proclaim another revolution, let us keep a watching brief. Let us stay curious. AI will not save education, nor will it sink it. If we are wise, however, it may help us shape its next chapter, gently, purposefully, in service of learning that remains, at its heart, profoundly human.
Matthew Hutchison
Headmaster