“Michael Horn, an expert in educational innovation, cautions that AI adoption isn’t straightforward. Current tools often require significant trial-and-error, and AI hallucinations could damage students’ self-esteem. Teachers need effective, reliable AI tools for tasks like creating lesson plans and providing fast feedback. Teachers at all levels tell us that they are overwhelmed and struggle to find bandwidth to learn new technologies. And, of course, given the focus on efficiency from Big Tech’s AI offerings, teachers are justifiably wary of new technologies that are intended to get them to do more with less—especially since some tech leaders profess that AI can replace schools altogether. Schools at all levels face enormous challenges with new levels of data privacy, access disparities, embedded biases, and technical expertise. The theoretical opportunities may be compelling but the challenges are certainly daunting as well.”

“The current generation of learners embodies a series of striking paradoxes that will shape the emerging intimacy economy in education. These students have never been sheltered from the world’s complexities, always connected to online knowledge. Combined with recent global events, this has created a cohort of learners unlike any before.

The most significant impact of this generation on institutions is in education. Recent events such as the Covid pandemic have fundamentally altered their expectations of learning. As Michael Horn observes, they ‘want the best of both worlds. They crave the flexibility of online learning, but also desire the community and in-person experiences of traditional education. They expect learning to be both flexible and socially engaging.'”