, Columnist
Your Child’s Favorite Teacher May Soon Be a Chatbot
The most popular and effective use of AI in education may be programs that follow the “friendship first” model.
Substitute teacher.
Photographer: Andreas Solaro/AFP
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Most students have a favorite teacher. In the future, could that teacher be … a chatbot? The answer depends in part on whether AI succeeds in becoming the next great educational technology innovation, or joins the long list of ed-tech disappointments.
Two kinds of AI-driven education are likely to take off, and they will have very different effects. Both approaches have real promise, but neither will make everyone happy.