There are endless examples of how AI will be influencing the education sector of the world in the coming years. NeuralCandy, an Android Things project, combines image classifier and sugar highs in one delicious blend. The application asks for a random image to be placed in front of the camera module and if it matches the request, the motor of the candy dispenser is then activated to release the reward. It is a specimen of the advantages of AI in education. NeuralCandy is a very useful tool that can be used to enhance children’s ability of cognitive image processing.

Also read: How Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality in Education Are Changing Learning

Benefits of AI in the Classroom

Education technology is a field of study that signifies the need for technological devices to help students acquire creative thinking skills. While EdTechs can be counted as the skeleton of technologically advanced learning methods, teaching AI builds the brain and helps it grow.

"Some people call this artificial intelligence, but the reality is this technology will enhance us. So instead of artificial intelligence, I think we’ll augment our intelligence."

– Ginni Rometty, Former CEO of IBM

1. Handling Repetitive Tasks

We often hear people complaining – “I don’t have time”. There’s always something or the other popping up and the hours just pass by. People working in the education sector are no exception to this. Most of the time that teachers have left after their lectures go into grading assignments, tests, and homework. But not anymore. With the advent of artificial intelligence in education, educators will be able to have time in hand to interact with students, come up with new and creative methods of teaching, and think outside of the box. The advantages of AI in education look at the possibility of using AI-operated grading machines that can evaluate the objective answers. This is something that is gradually being implemented in institutes. According to VentureBeat, some schools in China have incorporated paper-grading artificial intelligence in the classroom and about 60,000 institutions are quietly testing a machine learning-powered system that can score students’ work automatically, and even offer suggestions where appropriate. AI-based attendance systems will be introduced in classrooms in near future.

2. Individualized Education

India has the highest youth population. The government tries to do its best to provide education to every child with schemes that allow children to get free of cost primary education. However, due to the uneven teacher-student ratio, it becomes increasingly difficult to pay attention to every child, and hence, the quality of education is compromised. AI, our technological superhero, swoops in to save us here as well. One teacher cannot possibly reach out to every level while AI in the classroom can surely provide a personalized education that helps every student. Up until now, all the students have had to fit into one concrete education system even though every mind is different and possesses divergent levels of intelligence.

3. Assistant to the Educator

Let us look into another aspect of the advantages of AI in education. We will focus on the difference between Assistant Educator and Assistant to the Educator for a moment. The role of AI is often feared amongst the teaching staff. They are afraid of AI replacing them. What we need to understand here is that AI may acquire human intelligence but that does not rule out the importance of actual human presence. What AI does is finish up minimal tasks like grading or recording attendance, helps to teach with educational games or activities based on the technology, and storing student data system to make an educator’s work easier. AI can be an assistant to the teaching staff. Education still requires a human presence.

4. Scope for Improvement

With the extensive amount of knowledge that is available in the universe, it wouldn’t be a surprise if humans made some errors in the crafting of syllabus/courses. Artificial Intelligence in education can point out the areas in which there might be an inconsistency. Additionally, as discussed, the cognitive ability of every mind is different. Not every student can understand a particular concept in the same way. AI can ease the process of analyzing the outcomes of every student and provide help to the ones that seem to be struggling. After all:

“To err is human.”

– Alexander Pope

5. Building Global Citizens

Introducing kids to AI can open a whole new world of opportunities. Looking at the current scenario, teaching AI to young children, educators can open the arena of well-planned career opportunities to these kids. The options can be varied: it is a high-paying job or entrepreneurship. As educators, acquaint them with some of the most useful scientific concepts like coding and big data, give a push to their imagination and in turn, innovation abilities, and also equip them to contribute to the development of society. Artificial Intelligence is a boon to the world and teaching AI in the classroom will help kids utilize it to its best potential.

Also read: Digital Learning: Why E-Learning Websites Are a Boon for Kids Today

Risks Involved

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As Elon Musk shares, “The pace of progress in artificial intelligence (I’m not referring to narrow AI) is incredibly fast.”

Technological experts like Bill Gates and Stephen Hawking have stated that AI could be dangerous. So there needs to be balanced in our life of it. But the advantages of AI in education cannot be undermined. Some of the expected problems that can take place because of the advent of AI are autonomous weapons, social manipulation is miles away from the education sector. If used properly and in moderation, AI in the classroom could be extremely beneficial.

In a Nutshell

Artificial Intelligence in the classroom can be an addition to the effective teaching-learning process. It can help with various areas of teaching like:

1) Taking care of basic tedious tasks like grading the tests/assignments

2) Providing personalized education

3) Proving to be a handy assistant to the educator

4) Procuring accurate analysis of individualized student performances and help the ones who are struggling.

About the author

STEMpedia blends theory with experiential learning which helps develop the must-have 21st-century skills. It is the key to transform the youth of today into innovators of tomorrow. Any views expressed are personal.