The Teacher in an Age of Artificial Intelligence

Today is World Teachers’ Day, a day set aside to recognise teachers and the important role they play in shaping individuals, communities and societies. This year, I find myself thinking about teachers in a world that is changing very quickly.

Artificial intelligence is already changing the way we learn, work and access information. It can answer questions in seconds, explain difficult concepts, generate lesson plans, summarise books, create exercises and give students new ways to explore a subject. These changes are exciting, but they also invite us to think more deeply about what meaningful education really requires.

Teaching has never been only about transferring information. A good teacher notices when a student is struggling and finds another way to explain the lesson. They recognise potential that the student may not yet see in themselves. They know when to encourage, when to challenge and sometimes when to listen. In many cases, a teacher becomes the person who helps a young person believe that they are capable of more than they imagined.

That human connection is difficult to measure, but it can be life-changing. Think about the teacher who introduced you to a book that changed how you saw the world, encouraged you when you were ready to give up, noticed a talent you had overlooked or simply made you feel that your contribution mattered. Years later, you may not remember every lesson they taught, but you remember the person who taught you and the difference they made.

This is where I think the future of education becomes particularly interesting. AI can give teachers useful tools. It can help them create resources, explore ideas, save time and support different learning needs. It can also give students more opportunities to practise, ask questions and explore subjects at their own pace.

Used thoughtfully, technology can expand what is possible in education. But a teacher’s value goes beyond the information they deliver. It lies in their ability to guide, encourage, challenge and connect learning to the person sitting in front of them.

That is why I hope our conversation about technology and education will not focus only on what machines can do. We should also be asking what we want our education systems to help human beings become.

• Do we want people who can simply find answers, or people who know how to ask better questions?
• Do we want learners who can access information, or learners who can think critically about what they find?
• Do we want people who can use powerful technologies, or people who understand how to use those technologies responsibly?

These are questions that teachers will continue to help us answer.

As we celebrate World Teachers’ Day today, I think about the teachers who have influenced my own life and about the many teachers who continue to show up every day, often under difficult circumstances, to teach, guide and encourage others.

Some lessons stay with us because we remember what we were taught; others stay with us because we remember the person who taught us. And perhaps that is one of the most enduring things about teaching.

The future of education may be shaped by technology, but it will always be shaped by people.

Happy World Teachers’ Day to every teacher who continues to make a difference. 📚❤️

Your work matters, and the lives you touch may carry the evidence long after the classroom has been left behind.