Developing Actual Intelligence
What should we be educating ourselves in?
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Friends,
I’m often asked about AI in education - and how it will apply to edtech in general. So I thought it useful to consolidate my views as we move into Summer - ahead of a new school year. There is so much noise around the next disrupter, what will change, that it’s important to elevate and look at the right messages that will ring true.
For context and full disclosure, I work for Avallain, a digital-education provider, helping millions of students every month, through our partners around the world. We have AI integrated into our platforms and we also have an AI Copilot product called TeacherMatic which helps teachers and educators in amplifying their learning using AI. My view: AI is a supporter of education, not a replacement of education.
The reason why education has been a poster child for AI is because you’ll have seen how some of the models can undertake standardised tests and achieve results in the highest percentiles. It’s also a great indicator to understand how Artificial Intelligence can be benchmarked against Actual Intelligence. GPT 5.0 from Open AI, will likely be launched by the end of 2025 and will have PHD level intelligence.
If that is the case, then what do you do with all this supposed intelligence on tap - what can you change in the world with access to “artificial brains”? The large players are pouring money into AI at such a rate both industrywise but also AI for education. They see dollar signs. But what should we see as consumers of education, as learners and practitioners?
AI in education isn't just another edtech fad. I continue to believe that it's a fundamental shift, like the printing press, electricity, or the internet. It will change how we teach, how we learn, and what it means to be educated.
The promise is enticing. Personalised learning for every student, instant feedback, and insights we've never had before. Imagine an AI tutor that knows exactly where you're struggling in calculus and crafts the perfect explanation. Or a system that can predict which students are at risk of dropping out before they even know it themselves - and then develops interventions to prevent that from happening.
We're already seeing glimpses of this future. Take Squirrel AI, which uses AI to create personalised learning experiences based on individual student performance and adapts to students' learning paths and provides targeted support. Or Riiid, which can predict your standardised test score in 20 minutes. These aren't sci-fi fantasies – they're being used in classrooms and by companies right now.
But here's the thing: AI is really good at seeming smarter than it is. It's the ultimate smooth talker. AI has got “rizz”. And in education, that's dangerous. One glimpse of “wow” factor and we assume that AI can satisfy everything. That’s not quite the case.
We're facing a future where AI could make learning seem effortless. Why struggle through a difficult concept when an AI can explain it perfectly? Why write an essay when an AI can generate one for you? Universities and schools are worried about whether assignments have been generated by ChatGPT or Claude or Gemini. I’m more worried about whether they’re actually learning.
This is the trap we need to avoid. Because real learning – the kind that sticks and matters – isn't effortless. It's hard. It involves struggle, confusion, and breakthroughs. It's deeply human. I see my daughters trying to figure things out, trying different ways to understand the problem. The struggle is real. The struggle builds intelligence.
The real challenge isn't integrating AI into education. It's preserving what makes education valuable in the first place.
Here's what I think we need to focus on:
Teaching how to learn, not just what to learn. In a world where facts are a Search-GPT search away, the ability to learn new things quickly and deeply is the ultimate superpower. We need to double down on meta-learning skills. Companies like Quizlet (where I worked) are already moving in this direction, using AI not just to deliver content, but to help students develop better study habits.
Emphasising uniquely human skills. Creativity, emotional intelligence, complex problem-solving – these are areas where humans still have a massive edge over AI. Let's make them central to education. Look at what Khan Academy is doing – they're using AI to handle administrative tasks so teachers can focus on nurturing these critical human skills. It’s also why I co-founded EtonX. In a world full of AI, be more human.
Preserving the struggle. We shouldn't use AI to make learning effortless. We should use it to make the right kind of struggle possible for each student. Uplearn gets this – their AI doesn't solve math(s) problems for students, it guides tutors on how to ask the right questions to help students figure things out themselves. It’s why I try and let my kids figure those tricky problems out themselves, even though AI is starting to get good at Maths. I’m also worried I won’t be able to answer the question myself!
Being Critical about AI Literacy. Students need to understand what AI can and can't do. They need to see through the hype and recognize AI as a tool, not a magic solution. Organisations like AI4ALL are developing curricula to teach AI literacy in schools in the US. This should be as fundamental as teaching digital literacy. Using tech is using AI.
Rethinking testing. If an AI can ace your final exam, we have a different problem in education. We need to create assessments that measure true understanding and skills, not just the ability to regurgitate information. Edtech startups like Gradescope are pioneering new ways of real-time assessment that go beyond multiple-choice tests. A start-up idea that I conceived but didn’t implement was about tracking learning in all scenarios of life, using your mobile phone. It was way too intrusive and so I didn’t pursue it - but knowing that someone has learned is not just about passing the test.
The educators who will thrive in this new world aren't the ones who use AI to replace their teaching. They're the ones who use AI to amplify their uniquely human abilities – their empathy, their ability to inspire, their knack for asking the right questions at the right time, and their timing of intervention.
Consider Duolingo. They're not trying to replace language teachers. Instead, they're using AI to create a learning environment that complements classroom instruction. Their AI figures out what you're struggling with and adapts accordingly, but it doesn't try to replicate the nuanced cultural understanding a human teacher provides.
The future of education isn't AI vs. humans. It's AI-amplified humans. And figuring out how to do that well is the grand challenge of our educational era.
It won't be easy. The path of least resistance is to let AI do more and more, to outsource the hard parts of learning to algorithms. Resisting that will require a clear vision of what education is really for.
But if we get it right, we could enter a golden age of learning. One where technology handles the routine, freeing up humans to focus on the truly transformative aspects of education. Where every student has access to world-class resources, but also the guidance to use them effectively.
Imagine a classroom where AI handles grading and administrative tasks, freeing up teachers to have more one-on-one time with students. Where adaptive learning platforms like DreamBox provide personalised practice, but human teachers guide overall learning strategy and provide crucial emotional support and motivation.
The stakes are high. Get this wrong, and we could end up with a generation that knows how to use AI but doesn't know how to think. Get it right, and we could nurture a generation of thinkers and creators beyond anything we've seen before.
The future of education is being written right now. And it's going to be one hell of a learning experience for all of us.
Stay Curious - and don’t forget to be amazing,
PS. Social Media Schmedia: Zoos’ New Dilemma: Gorillas and Screen Time and AIs are coming for social networks
PPS. If, like me, you can’t afford the upgrade, let me make you feel worse: The truth about how billionaires travel. That’s how I felt anyway!
Here are my recommendations for this week:
Part of my workflow on consuming and learning information has been ramped up by AI tools. One that I’m using regularly is TubeonAI which creates summaries of videos and podcasts in seconds. If you need to up your lifelong learning to stay ahead of the game, sign up for free and then use code BOXOFAMAZING for a premium discount) Sign up
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