It’s easy to be skeptical about new technologies, especially when they challenge established systems. After all, just 25 years ago, many educators banned Google, favoring the more traditional approach of library science. Students were tasked with navigating card catalogs and microfilm. Today, no one would dream of banning Google—it’s simply too integrated into modern education.
Similarly, generative AI is likely to become the Google of the next generation. It’s not perfect, and it needs improvement, but ignoring it will only hinder our ability to adapt to the rapidly changing educational landscape. AI-powered tools like ChatGPT and upcoming more advanced systems are reshaping how we learn, teach, and interact with knowledge.
The best path forward is not to shy away from these technologies but to engage with them, improve upon them, and harness their potential to enhance the learning experience.
AI-Powered Tutors Can Revolutionize Education 
AI-powered tutors are making waves in education, offering students real-time feedback, personalized instruction, and the ability to learn at their own pace. There’s a growing body of research that shows students can master concepts more thoroughly with AI tutors than in a traditional classrooms:
In a recent Harvard study, students using a custom-designed physics AI chatbot tutor approximately doubled the learning gains compared to those in a traditional classroom. In addition, students reported being more motivated and engaged.
Students in Ghana using Rori, an AI-powered math tutor, realized math gains equivalent a year of study when using the app for one hour per week.
A Stanford Study showed the potential of large language models (LLMs) embedded with the thought process of human experts to bridge the gap between novice and expert tutors. “Responses from GPT4 with expert decisions are +76% more preferred than without.”
AI tutors are expected to become significantly more capable, with improvements like larger memory and context windows, the ability to analyze previous student work, and even the ability to “see” and “listen” to students. Future AI tutors may have stronger empathic capabilities, potentially leading to better student motivation and engagement.
The Road Ahead
For educators, the message is clear: embrace AI, learn its basics, and explore its applications. The technology is here to stay, and while its challenges must be addressed, its potential to transform education is undeniable. Avoiding AI does not protect our students, it fails them. In 25 years, when we look back at AI’s role in classrooms, we’ll likely see this moment as the beginning of a profound transformation.
About Ed3
Ed 3.0 is an Open Discussion Forum on the Future of Education, unaffiliated with any particular organization. It is a distributed group of like-minded individuals, sharing and documenting knowledge with a common commitment to more personalized, competency-based, verifiable learning at the scale of the Internet. You’re welcome to join us!
Ed3 meets most every Thursday at 11AM ET. For 2025:
- 1st Th – Learning and Employment Records (LER@Ed3)
- 2nd Th – Artificial Intelligence (AI@Ed3)
- 3rd Th – Special Education Data Model (SEDM@Ed)
- 4th/5th Th – Wildcard Topics
AUTHORS:
Greg Nadeau, Ed3, Public Consulting Group (MA)
Paula Maylahn, Interoperability Subject Matter Expert, CoSN (NJ)
Published on: February 18, 2025
The Ed3 Forum is hosted by an independent organization. While CoSN may report on meeting outcomes, we do not monitor, endorse, or take responsibility for any content shared within the forum.
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