Rethinking Education: AI on the Same Team as Human Teachers
As part of the 2nd Global Digital Forum, the Rectors’ Club held a meeting on October 9 titled “Education by New Rules: Outpacing AI Trends.” Representatives of leading universities discussed how the introduction of AI is reshaping education.
The discussion was moderated by Mikhail Gordin, Rector of Bauman Moscow State Technical University, who invited participants to identify the most pressing challenge at the intersection of education and AI. Gordin himself sees the central challenge as the tension between efficiency and effectiveness, understood as earning a good grade. As he explained, the goal should be knowledge, not grades.
For many participants, however, AI itself was the biggest challenge. Hongzhi Wang, Vice President of Shanghai University of Electric Power, noted that AI is changing every aspect of people’s lives. Students can now acquire knowledge using a computer or smartphone, while teachers continue to rely on traditional teaching methods. As a result, many students do not even listen to what their teachers say.
“This has to change. In China, we are revising the curriculum and introducing new courses and subjects. We are also training teachers, who need to develop the skills to work with AI. Lessons themselves must change, too. There is no longer a need to hold so many classes, because students can do much of their work at home. Teachers should help students identify reliable sources of knowledge,” Wang said.
Yulia Gorbunova, President of Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, believes society is not yet ready for AI to become part of everyday life.
“There are many fears and concerns, but the arrival of AI is inevitable, like the changing seasons. The main challenge is to overcome that fear and let AI into our lives,” she said.
According to Gorbunova, despite the introduction of new technologies, the foundations of education must remain unchanged.
“The arrival of AI has not changed the fundamental laws of mathematics, physics or chemistry. We still need to teach traditional subjects, but with new approaches and skills. In the later years of university, we should introduce project-based learning, with people from industry, technology and high-tech businesses involved in defining the projects.
“I categorically disagree with the idea that researchers are no longer needed and AI will make all discoveries. Let’s break AI down: it needs databases and enormous amounts of energy. The volume of data keeps growing, and it has to be processed at high speeds. That means we need engineers and new approaches, including those involving quantum technologies. Besides, if we stop memorizing things, our brains stop getting exercise. And what is not exercised grows weaker. Teachers should train the brain, pass on culture and traditions, and teach students how to learn,” Gorbunova concluded.
Germain Kuna Maba Mambuku, Rector of Kongo University, described the adoption of modern technologies in his country, calling it an AI revolution. The most fundamental question, he said, is how the teacher’s role in the classroom is changing. Teachers must not be conservatives; they need to accept that students may have skills and knowledge that extend beyond their own understanding. In Mambuku’s view, teachers should start by educating themselves. AI can then become a tool that helps them convey knowledge.
Sergey Erokhin, Rector of Moscow Technical University of Communications and Informatics (MTUCI), raised the moral and ethical questions surrounding teacher-student relationships in the age of AI.
“In the past, the teacher was the senior figure in the classroom and the one who imparted knowledge. Now there is an alternative teacher, so to speak: ChatGPT. This changes the model. We offer AI courses, and we see that students have fewer and fewer incentives to attend classes because they have alternative sources of knowledge. This is another stage in the development of technology and the industry, so we teach students both how AI works and how to apply it to practical problems. We update the curriculum once a year,” Erokhin said.
Ricardo Laurio Dizon, Director of the Institutional Planning Office at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, pointed out that AI is also changing how roles are distributed throughout society.
“Who will do what now increasingly depends on their ability to use AI. In the Philippines, AI collects data and performs secretarial tasks, and it does an excellent job. It is taking over these jobs, which means we are replacing employees with machines. This affects the labor market and forces people to adapt. Universities, too, need to adjust to the changes brought about by AI.”
At the same time, Dizon stressed that AI cannot operate without human judgment. “Only a human can evaluate information or a result. What is false, and what is true? Only a human can make that judgment,” he said.
The experts agreed that there is no need to fear the disappearance of some professions. AI is already reshaping education, and the key is to learn how to make the most of its strengths.
