“The story of EdTech has largely been one of expensive failure,” Hendrick writes. There’s evidence that AI tutoring can be highly effective, if structured to supplement human teaching. However, “many uses of AI in education actively harm learning.” Research confirms what teachers suspect: “When AI does the thinking, students stop doing it themselves.”
Younger AI users show the greatest decline in critical thinking ability, a recent study showed. Students may think they’re understanding, but they’re mistaken.