AI in classrooms ‘can teach pupils better than ever’, says headteacher

Artificial intelligence has the capacity to revolutionise learning in Britain’s classrooms, freeing up teachers for more effective teaching, a former head of a leading private school said today.

Sir Anthony Seldon, vice-chancellor of Buckingham University and ex-head of Wellington College, called on schools to grasp the opportunities from advances in technology to provide pupils with individually tailored lessons.

He says intelligent robots using personalised software will end “inefficient” group learning and free teachers to lead more active one-to-one lessons.

Sir Anthony said he believes the Government should follow the example of American schools and embrace “the biggest move in education for 300 years”. He said research and investment in educational technology will lead to a “tipping point” in schools in around five years’ time.

Technology will be able to efficiently instruct every student, mark work and write reports, using the results to design personalised follow-up lessons.

Sir Anthony said: “Every student will have their personalised AI software and this will understand students better than any teacher has ever done.

“Because everything is personalised, all learning will happen much, much quicker. Students will be able to learn in their own time. The machines will free up time for more things like project and group work and problem-solving led by teachers, and the drama, music and sport that are so important.”

He argues the new AltSchool network, set up by ex-Google executive Max Ventilla in California and New York, points the way. Students there organise their learning in consultation with teachers, using tablet software to track progress in all areas of school life.

He said: “This is the biggest move in education for 300 years. The Government hasn’t begun to understand what it can do with AI in education.

“We need to teach people how to learn and think actively rather than to just let machines do all our thinking for us.”

The Fourth Education Revolution, by Anthony Seldon, is out now.