AI-Driven Education Would Be a Disaster for Students

Your child’s next teacher could be a machine.

AI tutoring startups are racing into classrooms across the country, promising faster learning, personalized instruction, and perfect efficiency. It’s already happening in places like Alpha School, a much-hyped experiment in Austin, Texas. The pitch is seductive: Students use AI tutors to finish academic instruction in just two hours a day, freeing the rest of the day for projects, play, or entrepreneurship. The school — which will be operating in more than 20 locations across America come this fall — boasts top-percentile test scores and promises children can learn between two and over six times faster with algorithmic guidance replacing traditional instruction.

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About the Author

Kathleen O'Toole

Kathleen O’Toole is the associate vice president for K–12 education at Hillsdale College and a high school teacher at Hillsdale Academy.

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Your child’s next teacher could be a machine.

AI tutoring startups are racing into classrooms across the country, promising faster learning, personalized instruction, and perfect efficiency. It’s already happening in places like Alpha School, a much-hyped experiment in Austin, Texas. The pitch is seductive: Students use AI tutors to finish academic instruction in just two hours a day, freeing the rest of the day for projects, play, or entrepreneurship. The school — which will be operating in more than 20 locations across America come this fall — boasts top-percentile test scores and promises children can learn between two and over six times faster with algorithmic guidance replacing traditional instruction.