Neural networks have not only become popular as entertainment but have also spread quickly into many professional fields, changing established processes.

According to a study by Beautiful.ai, which surveyed 3,000 corporate managers, 41% of executives believe that cheaper AI tools could replace many employees.

But what about education? Fuel was added to the fire by AI-powered chatbots. The most well-known is ChatGPT by OpenAI, but there are many alternatives. They are actively used by students and schoolchildren on one side, and by teachers and educational platforms on the other. Let’s explore what advantages AI can bring to education, what limitations it has, and what to expect in the future.

Contents:
1. What are the benefits of modern technologies in education?
2. What are the drawbacks of AI in education?

3. So, will robots replace teachers?

What are the benefits of modern technologies in education?

Personalized learning

AI-powered systems collect large amounts of data on how students learn and use it to create personalized learning tracks. On one hand, this adapts the material to the learner’s needs; on the other, it creates the impression of live interaction that adjusts to the user.
 

Example: the language-learning app Duolingo uses personalization when creating dialogues for practicing spoken language.
Source: blog.duolingo.com

Virtual tutor

A neural network can help explain a complex math problem, clarify a chemistry concept, or translate a text into another language. This allows students to receive support outside of class at any time. AI is also useful for summarizing material or finding additional resources on a topic. These tools can increase engagement and support group work, including in distance learning formats.

For example, one of the world’s most popular educational platforms, Khan Academy, developed Khanmigo, an AI-powered chatbot that can act as a tutor or a teacher’s assistant.

Assessment and planning

Language models such as ChatGPT can generate exam questions, quizzes, assignments, and even suggest lesson topics, course outlines, or evaluate strengths and weaknesses of student work. For experienced teachers, ChatGPT reduces routine tasks but requires creativity and adaptation.

Thus, AI can be a valuable support for both teachers and students — saving time for one and providing instant help to the other. But reducing workload is one thing; replacing human jobs is another. Can technology fully replace teachers? Two key arguments against are: unreliable information and the absence of human interaction.

What are the drawbacks of AI in education?

Accuracy of information: how many legs does a horse have?

AI doesn’t store knowledge but pulls information from online sources. It works with representations of knowledge rather than facts. This leads to issues like citing non-existent people, fabricated research, or forum posts as credible sources. “Hallucinations” — entirely made-up answers — are also common. Unsurprisingly, chatbot creators prohibit using them for health-related advice. 

Research from Purdue University (USA) found that ChatGPT gave incorrect answers on StackOverflow in 52% of cases. Despite this, users often trusted the responses because of their polished style. Researchers argue that the polite tone, clarity, and completeness made even wrong answers appear correct.

Robot teachers lack critical thinking, which is why they can serve as tools in human hands but not replace human-to-human knowledge transfer. Another significant issue is the lack of context and personal perspective in AI-generated responses.

Lack of context and personal experience

Unlike a teacher, AI cannot share personal experience — only imitate patterns from millions of texts it was trained on. As a result, AI texts often lack depth, voice, and expertise. They also tend to follow formulaic structures that may lack logical flow or even contradict themselves in longer responses.

Human editing is required to turn AI-generated texts into coherent, meaningful narratives — especially important when the goal is to teach students how to think and write. In short, AI won’t replace language and literature teachers anytime soon.

Lack of human interaction

Teaching is not just transferring knowledge. Teachers support students, consider their motivation, emotional state, and temperament. They create a safe classroom environment, interact beyond lessons, and serve as role models. AI cannot replicate these roles, nor can it navigate complex human situations.

On the importance of human knowledge transfer: the famous painting by N.P. Bogdanov-Belsky, “Mental Arithmetic. In the Public School of S.A. Rachinsky.” The teacher, Sergei Rachinsky, developed his own method for teaching arithmetic and shaped the mathematical thinking of many students.

So, will robots replace teachers?

Probably not. Modern technologies should be seen as tools requiring skillful use and continuous professional development. In capable hands, they can reduce teacher workload and enhance student learning. But thoughtless use may cause harm. The human factor in education is irreplaceable. In fact, the need for teachers who can creatively use these tools will only grow. Thus, innovations should be viewed as partners to teachers, not replacements.

Perhaps the future of education lies in the harmony between human expertise and technological support.