One evening in Bengaluru, 14-year-old Aarav sits at his dining table, concentrating on a chemistry problem. His notebook is lying open. Half the page has been cut off. Her next tuition class is two days away.Instead of waiting, Aarav picks up his phone. “Explain it like I’m new to chemistry,” he types into the AI chatbot.The answer appears within a few seconds. It explains the steps in simple words. Aarav asks again, this time a real world example. The interpretation changes. He asks for the third time. The chatbot doesn’t rush or make decisions. This explains it again.Next morning, Aarav goes to school. His teacher does not ask for the answer. She asks him to explain the procedure.This quiet exchange between a student, a machine, and a teacher sums up where education stands today. Artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic idea debated in policy chambers. It already decides how students study and how teachers teach.Yet there is risk in this instant access. When explanations are always available, there is no confusion. Without that pause, understanding can never be fully formed.The real question now is not whether AI belongs in education or not. It’s how it is used, where it fits, and who remains in control.
What does AI look like in classrooms?
AI in education does not mean replacing teachers with robots. In practice, this manifests in common and often invisible ways.Most of the students use generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Grammarly, Quillbot, Canva Magic Design, and Gamma. They use them to simplify the language of the textbook, clear doubts, make summaries, practice answers and plan essays. For many people, AI now serves as a study companion around the clock.These tools rely on Generative Artificial Intelligence or Gen AI. These systems generate original content—text, images, audio, or code—based on user signals. Powered by large language models (LLM), they analyze large datasets to generate human-like responses. Unlike earlier education software that retrieves information, General AI generates answers. Its flow may hide errors, bias, or weak logic.Adaptive learning platforms create another layer. Schools and coaching centers use them to track how students answer questions and adjust lessons in real time. When students struggle, the software revisits the basics. When they perform well it raises the bar. The goal is individualization in classrooms where individual attention remains limited.
Teachers also use AI tools like MagicSchool AI and Eduaide.AI. These assist with lesson plans, worksheets, quizzes, and performance analysis. When used well, AI serves as a support system, not a replacement. This helps teachers focus their time where guidance matters most.Together, these tools provide feedback to learners in real time. This marks a transformation that no education software has achieved before.
Are students learning, or outsourcing the thinking?
Students adopted AI faster than schools expected. Many people now turn to AI before textbooks or teachers, especially for revision of homework and exams. For some people, AI has become the first step, not the last option.The Center for Democracy and Technology’s 2024-25 report found that 86 percent of students and 85 percent of teachers used AI during the school year. Students often use it for tutoring and college or career advice.This raises a difficult question. Are students learning, or are they tasked with thinking?A Class 10 student preparing for board exams describes a change in her study habits.“Yes, AI has changed the way I study. I often know the answer but struggle to write it well. AI tools help me phrase answers by giving templates and refining my responses.”When used carefully, AI can aid learning. This allows students to revise at their own pace, return to difficult topics without embarrassment, and practice independently. For students without access to personalized academic support, AI can bridge the gap.
Is AI replacing critical thinking?
When answers come immediately, something subtle is missing. The struggle fades away due to confusion. That struggle is not a fault. This is part of learning. Confusion forces students to stop, test ideas, and connect concepts. Without that pause, understanding remains shallow.Learning chess offers a clear example. An app that suggests the best moves can help you win. It doesn’t teach strategy. You follow instructions without knowing why they work. Real learning occurs when players make mistakes and develop intuition over time.Research in higher education indicates concern. Studies show that students who rely on larger language models for writing and research produce less mental effort. They often show weaker reasoning than peers who use traditional search methods. AI reduces effort, but it can also block deep thinking.Other studies show that students who use AI engage with fewer ideas. Their analysis becomes narrow and sometimes biased. When an obvious answer is immediately apparent, students explore fewer alternatives and challenge fewer beliefs.Searching the Internet still requires effort. Students must evaluate sources, interpret information, and decide how to use it. Generative AI often provides ready-made responses. When used without reflection, it can replace the act of thinking.Critical thinking—the ability to ask questions, weigh evidence, and make independent decisions—remains human. The risk lies not in using AI, but in letting it replace judgment.
“I’m not here to replace teachers or do the thinking for students. My purpose is to support learning – breaking down complex ideas, personalizing practice, and helping students explore at their own pace. Real understanding still comes from human guidance, curiosity, and critical thinking.”
AI on its role in classrooms
AI in Homeschooling: Help or Hollow Guidance?
AI has become a common tool in homeschooling. Many parents use it to save time on lesson planning, grading, and practice. AI tools can explain subjects and even provide basic tuition, which makes homeschooling more flexible and easier to manage.Homeschooling allows families to proceed at their own pace, but it also requires time and effort. AI can ease that burden by helping parents plan lessons, explain ideas at different levels, and design worksheets or quizzes. If a child struggles in a subject, the AI can repeat the explanation without stress. For working parents, this support helps maintain a routine.But AI has clear limitations.AI has no training in teaching methods. It doesn’t understand how children learn or how skills develop over time. It draws ideas from online sources but cannot assess their quality or suitability for a specific child.Parents do not need to have a teaching degree to homeschool. Still, when they encounter unfamiliar topics, experienced teachers remain better guides. Teachers design curriculum based on classroom experience and tested methods. That human judgment carries more weight than AI-generated content.AI also lags behind in evaluation. It gives blanket feedback that ignores the child’s voice, effort and progress. It cannot explain why a student struggles or recognize growth. In homeschooling, adults must remain in control. Children still need human guidance and care, this responsibility cannot be the responsibility of any machine.
Human Cost: Connection in the Age of Convenience
“Earlier, students would come to me with doubts,” says a middle school science teacher CBSE School in Pune. “Now they come up with the answers, and I have to check if they understand them.”Academic concerns are not the only issue. The connection is also in danger.A report from the Center for Democracy and Technology found that half of students felt less engaged with teachers when AI entered the classroom. Many teachers are concerned about weak peer engagement. Parents share this concern.In a country like India, where teachers are not just trainers but are often revered as life-shaping gurus, this change seems particularly profound. The relationship between teacher and student has long held emotional and moral significance, based on respect, guidance and personal connection.Classes do more than transfer information. They teach cooperation, debate, empathy and trust. If AI becomes the main link between students and knowledge, the human fabric of education may become thin.For this reason, many experts insist on one thing: AI should remain a tool, not a teacher.
Why does banning AI miss the point?
Some schools tried to ban AI in response to plagiarism fears. These restrictions rarely work.Students continue to use AI outside of school, often without guidance. Teachers end up enforcing rules that ignore reality.As researchers at the Harvard Graduate School of Education argue, denying the presence of AI does not protect learning. It avoids responsibility. Students already use these tools. They need direction.In research and classrooms, a practical framework has emerged.
- AI should support, not replace: AI works best when it eases routine work and supports different learning needs. Decisions and explanations must remain humane.
- AI literacy must be taught: Students must learn to ask good questions, check for accuracy, detect bias, and understand limitations.
- There should be a change in assessment: schools should value logic, process and application more than sophisticated answers. Oral exams, class work and reflection matter more.
- Teachers should use AI with students: Examining AI responses together and questioning them in class shows students how to think critically.
As one teacher says, the goal is not to prevent students from using AI. This is to prevent AI from thinking for them.
A hybrid, human-centered future
There will be no shortage of teachers in the class of 2030. It will not revolve around AI. This will mix the two.In this model, AI handles routine tasks and provides personalized assistance. Teachers focus on discussion, creativity, ethics and social learning. Students learn to question AI, not just use it.Once students develop healthy AI habits in school, higher education must continue that work. Universities can no longer treat AI as new. The curriculum should reflect daily use.The workplace faces similar changes. Employers will need to invest in AI literacy to strengthen decisions and productivity. Every sector will feel this change. How society responds will shape the next century.Back at his dining table, Aarav doesn’t see AI as risky or radical. For him, it’s what he listens to when he feels trapped. What matters is what happens next – when the teacher asks him to explain, when thinking is required, and when learning becomes human again.
