Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming classrooms—but is it actually improving education, or instead creating new challenges?
While AI can personalize learning, automate grading, and provide student support outside school hours, it also raises serious concerns. What happens if students rely too much on these tools? What about data privacy, or the risk of widening the digital divide for students without tech access?
AI can do incredible things, but without full understanding, both teachers and students risk misusing it or missing out on its full potential. That’s why we’ve broken down the pros and cons of AI in education below.
Whether you’re a teacher looking to integrate AI in your classroom or a student navigating EdTech tools, this guide will help you explore the full picture—and decide how AI fits into your educational journey.
Key Takeaways
- AI has the power to improve teaching and learning, but it must be used responsibly and mindfully to ensure it doesn’t replace human teaching and connection.
- Some pros of AI in schools include personalized learning, accessibility, increased student engagement, and streamlined administration for teachers.
- Potential negatives include privacy and data breaches, overreliance on technology, and widening the technological gap.
- To ensure thoughtful implementation, schools should outline clear goals, onboard and train teachers thoroughly, provide reliable infrastructure, and constantly monitor and evaluate usage and tools.
The Impact of AI on Education
AI is transforming the educational landscape, introducing new ways to teach, learn, and manage classrooms. From innovative tutoring apps to automated grading systems, AI’s role in education continues to grow, encouraging more adaptive, accessible, and efficient teaching and learning.
Implementing AI for students enhances the learning experience by tailoring content to individual needs. Pupils can learn at their own pace, receive real-time feedback, and access 24/7 assistance through AI-powered platforms. This level of personalization is helping to close learning gaps and keep students engaged.
For teachers, AI can reduce administration, support varied instruction, and provide insights into student performance to help inform better teaching strategies. It can also identify students at risk of falling behind, allowing for earlier intervention.
However, AI also raises challenges, including concerns about equity, privacy, and a lack of human connection. Its long-term success in education depends on thoughtful implementation that complements human teaching, rather than replacing it.
Below, we’ll delve into these pros and cons of AI in education in further detail.
Pros of AI in Education
AI in schools has introduced significant positive change, enhancing students’ learning experiences and streamlining teacher tasks to support both in various ways. Here are some of the positives of incorporating AI in the classroom for both students and teachers.
Personalized learning
AI can enhance the learning experience for many students by adapting lesson content to match individual learning styles and adjusting pacing to suit their needs.
Adaptive learning platforms can adjust assessment difficulty and content based on a student’s performance. If a student struggles with a concept, the system adjusts the difficulty based on their responses, providing a more accurate measure of their understanding. Teachers can then use these insights to tailor instruction to each student’s needs.
This reduces student frustration, boosts motivation, and helps teachers personalize lessons.
Accessibility
AI tools can be especially useful for students with accessibility needs. For instance, platforms such as Jamworks can provide speech-to-text and reading accommodations, helping SEND students to stay on track.
Similarly, non-native speakers can utilize real-time translation tools, such as Wordly.ai, to help with language learning and overall comprehension.
Increased engagement
AI also creates immersive learning experiences that transcend traditional methods. For instance, virtual and augmented reality tools enhanced with AI can be used to create personalized and adaptive learning experiences—such as transporting students to ancient historical sites or allowing them to run virtual science experiments. This makes learning more hands-on and easier to retain, while also supporting students with visual learning styles.
Gamified learning tools, also powered by AI, can incorporate competitive elements such as rewards, challenges, and leaderboards to make learning fun and more engaging.
Streamlined administrative tasks
Automating tasks such as basic grading, attendance tracking, and lesson planning with AI can reduce workload and increase teacher efficiency. By utilizing assessment platforms such as Gradescope, educators free up their time to dedicate to students.
Data-driven insights
AI analyzes patterns in students’ work and identifies where individuals are struggling. For example, TAO’s AI collects and analyzes performance data, giving educators a clear view of students’ progress, their strengths, and areas that need improvement. Teachers can then tailor instruction or interventions to address weaker points sooner.
Real-time feedback
Students can access AI-powered tools anytime for learning or assistance. Unlike a teacher with limited hours, chatbots such as ChatGPT can instantly provide help with homework, study questions, and explanations, allowing students to get help at their own pace.
Similarly, AI tutoring systems (like Tutor AI) can track progress, identify knowledge gaps, and tailor feedback and support to help students reach their goals more efficiently. This immediate feedback on quizzes or assignments also helps students correct mistakes quickly before they become entrenched.
Cons of AI in Education
While AI tools can provide benefits, there are also numerous downsides to consider.
Privacy and data security
One major drawback of AI in schools is the risk to data privacy. Many of these educational tools and platforms require large amounts of personal information, such as academic records, behavior, and even biometrics. Without adequate protection, this data could be vulnerable to breaches or misuse.
As a result, it’s essential to have strict privacy safeguards and for educators to follow data protection laws to keep student information safe.
Bias and misinformation
AI is only as clever as the source material it was trained on. Systems developed with biased data may reinforce stereotypes or make unfair predictions about student potential, for example.
Likewise, some AI tools may provide incorrect or oversimplified answers, misleading students and embedding false information. As a result, teachers and students should always double-check information to ensure it’s correct.
Overreliance on technology
There is an argument that excessive use of AI for students can hinder critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving, encouraging students to become passive learners instead of engaging with material.
AI can also encourage cheating, as students may rely on programs such as ChatGPT to write essays or to answer homework questions. This creates an entirely new task for teachers, as many will need to check for AI usage when marking student work.
Similarly, over-reliance on plagiarism detection software may, in turn, cause teachers to lose confidence in their own judgment and skills.
Equity issues
Not all students have access to tech devices and strong internet at home. Encouraging the use of AI for independent learning could widen the digital divide between students from different economic backgrounds. Using too many AI-based platforms could also be confusing or overwhelming, especially for younger learners or SEND students.
Similarly, integrating AI in schools can be time-consuming and costly, especially in under-resourced institutions. Some teachers may also struggle to adapt to and adopt new programmes, or fear that their jobs are at risk due to new technologies. This may lead to a lack of motivation among staff.
Lack of human interaction
A key drawback of AI in schools is the lack of human connection. Teachers do more than teach—they offer support, empathy, and guidance that technology can’t match. Without this personal touch, learning can feel less engaging, or students’ social and emotional growth could be impacted.
AI’s Impact on Student Learning Outcomes
Despite these challenges, many studies into AI in education have highlighted how this technology is transforming student learning outcomes by tailoring education to individual needs.
A study in 2024 showed a clear positive trend in how students perceive the academic impact of AI tools. A large majority (83%) reported some level of academic benefit, with nearly half of the students surveyed reporting significant improvement in study habits and performance.
Similarly, a 2022 study found that learning gains were 2 to 2.5 times higher in a personalized, AI-driven learning system compared to regular online learning platforms. However, it also revealed that while AI has significantly transformed many areas of society, only a small portion of its potential has been explored and applied in the field of education so far.
Integrating AI Into the Classroom
While many teachers are already implementing AI into classrooms, some are still apprehensive. A 2024 study revealed that only 23% of teachers had used AI in their teaching in the last term, mainly for producing lesson plans and resources. Furthermore, 64% expressed concerns about AI’s reliability in assessing student work, and 38% believed schools should not encourage teachers to use AI for grading and feedback.
With that being said, some educators do rely on EdTech tools to streamline their workload. Quiz tools such as Kahoot!, for example, can introduce live games and leaderboards to make classes more interactive, while TAO’s automatic grading can save teachers time while providing immediate feedback to students.
However, effectively using AI in schools requires the following:
- Clear goals: Schools should define how AI will support learning, streamline tasks, or boost engagement, aligning these goals with their overall mission.
- Teacher onboarding: Teachers need to know they’re not being replaced, and instead view AI as a tool to improve and enhance their role. They also need thorough and ongoing training to understand how to use AI tools effectively.
- Strong infrastructure: Reliable technology and reputable AI platforms are essential to support evolving needs.
- Ongoing evaluation: Educators must stay current with new developments. Regular feedback from students and staff will also help track impact and highlight improvements, ensuring AI truly enhances the learning experience.
The Bottom Line
AI in education offers powerful benefits such as personalized learning and increased accessibility—but it also comes with risks, such as overreliance on technology, privacy concerns, and unequal access.
Effective use of AI in education means carefully weighing its benefits against potential drawbacks, with thoughtful planning and continuous review. The key is to use AI as a supportive tool—and not as a replacement for human teaching. Careful implementation will ensure AI helps to close gaps and doesn’t widen them further.
To find out how AI tools can improve student assessment outcomes—and how they can impact cheating on tests—head over to the TAO blog.
Introduce AI With TAO Testing
If you’re curious about how AI can enhance assessment in the classroom, scheduling a demo with TAO is a great place to start.
TAO integrates AI-assisted test creation and essay scoring tools to help educators and administrators work smarter.
With features like automated scoring, personalized feedback, and accessibility tools to support diverse learners, TAO shows how AI-driven platforms can make assessments more efficient, accurate, and inclusive.
Schedule your demo today to see how this technology can elevate teaching and learning in your classroom.
FAQs
Is AI allowed in schools?
AI has been adopted in many educational facilities to streamline teachers’ tasks and enhance student learning. However, the extent to which it is used will be at the educators’ discretion—they must use their professional judgment to ensure that it’s used responsibly and accurately.
Why can’t AI replace teachers?
AI is a great tool to use alongside traditional teaching methods, but it can’t replace humans. Unlike AI, teachers can act as a role model in a student’s life, providing empathy and emotional understanding when teaching, as well as helping to shape the values, attitudes, and behavior of their students. These skills can not be replicated by technology.
