Digital Smarts - Artificial Intelligence and Education

National Public Radio recently posted a fascinating article about Artificial Intelligence, or “AI” as it is commonly known, and the future of education. One prediction is that AI, when used as a one-on-one tutoring system, could eliminate the need for standardized tests because the computer software will always know how knowledgeable the student is in the subject matter. It gives new meaning to the term “life long learning companion” compared to what the encyclopedia’s salesperson meant by it back in the 20^th century.

What will this mean for human teachers? Geoff Colvin, an editor for Fortune magazine and the author of a book about human capabilities, wrote in The New York Times: "Advancing technology will profoundly change the nature of high-value human skills and that is threatening, but we aren't doomed. The skills of deep human interaction, the abilities to manage the exchanges that occur only between people, will only become more valuable." So maybe teachers will have a place after all. Want to learn more? See Intelligence Unleashed: An argument for AI in Education, a pamphlet from the world's largest education company, Pearson.