Schools Targeted with AI Learning Apps Despite Experts’ Doubts
AFP/APP
Paris: AI-powered learning apps are being aggressively marketed to schools worldwide, with governments rushing to adopt this technology. However, experts remain skeptical about its effectiveness and potential harms.
The Ed Tech sector, which boomed during the Covid-19 pandemic when schools were forced to close, saw a surge in demand as millions of children transitioned to online learning. As schools reopened, the demand for these technologies dwindled, prompting Ed Tech startups to incorporate AI into their products in hopes of regaining investor interest.
Major tech companies like Microsoft, Meta, and OpenAI have recognized the potential market, offering AI products and partnering with startups to introduce them in educational settings.
While many countries have announced plans to incorporate AI in education, voices of dissent are growing. UNESCO’s education expert, Manos Antoninis, criticized the rapid shift to online learning during the pandemic, calling it a “tragedy” that worsened inequalities and learning outcomes.
He expressed concerns that AI is creating more problems than solutions, highlighting issues such as data misuse, biased algorithms, and the commercialization of education. Antoninis warned that education was being exploited to create future consumers rather than focusing on educational benefits.
Despite these concerns, governments around the world are pushing AI-based learning solutions. Countries like the UK, South Korea, and China have already embraced AI in education, with initiatives ranging from AI homework apps to national education platforms.
In the UK, for example, the government has invested heavily in AI tools designed to ease the burden on teachers by assisting with lesson plans, grading, and assessments. In China, AI is at the core of a national strategy to digitize education.
However, the reality on the ground often doesn’t match these ambitious plans. In India, for example, where Ed Tech startups like BYJU’s flourished during the pandemic, the situation remains challenging.
Many students in New Delhi lack access to smartphones or reliable internet, making online education unfeasible when schools close due to environmental issues like smog. BYJU’s, once the world’s most valuable Ed Tech startup, is also facing financial turmoil, including allegations of misconduct and narrowly avoiding bankruptcy.
In wealthier nations, the reception of AI in education has been lukewarm. A recent Pew Research Center survey found that only 6% of US secondary school teachers believed that AI would have a positive impact on education.
In France, the rollout of an AI-powered homework app called MIA was quietly canceled amid political controversy. In the UK, many parents have voiced dissatisfaction with the Sparx Maths app, with complaints ranging from a lack of enjoyment to frustration over its rigid approach to learning.
Experts also question whether the focus on personalized learning through AI misses a critical aspect of education: social interaction. Antoninis and Leon Furze, a consultant on generative AI in education, argue that technology should be seen as a tool, not a replacement for human interaction.
Furze stressed that AI might isolate students rather than foster the social learning that is essential for personal development.
Ultimately, while AI may offer some benefits in specific contexts, educators agree that it cannot solve the deeper, structural challenges faced by students and teachers. The hard work of teaching, they argue, still lies with humans, not machines.
