Artificial intelligence or AI is the buzzword currently. AI has made some rapid advances in 2025 and we are all trying to keep up with it.

We have moved on from just using CHATGPT to creating anything from a presentation, article, movie, animation or publication in a matter of minutes.

Let us explore on what AI’s place in education is and how it can be used and what to be wary of.

AI’s place in education:

Firstly, let us look at the history, AI existed from a long time, it has been used in algorithms, search tools and many other areas from the time internet has been discovered.

So, what is the difference now? The difference is in the past AI was accessible only to data engineers and tech companies however now it is accessible to the general public in the simplest form to use.

Operating AI tools is a skill in itself to get the right result. There are many tools and aps available which will help in creating the most sophisticated data in a matter of hours. what would have taken weeks in the past could be created, customised and fine-tuned in a day.

For educators it reduced admin burden significantly. Content creation would be much faster. However, the very important point to note is that content collated need not be accurate information, need not be relevant to the subject and also would be covered broadly rather than to the specific competency we are addressing.

It is not much different to google which has been throwing a whole heap of data which is many times contradicting. Yes, now the data can be refined better, and the results are more specific, but can it be relied upon without a subject matter expert? That would be a resounding NO.

That is where someone who has the knowledge and expertise comes in. To quantify, validate, clarify and assess the data produced, and that is not going to change.

A qualification can never be replaced as the difference between a qualification achieved to getting free information on a subject is the presence of an expert in the subject assessing, guiding and quantifying the work you do.

AI’s input into the student journey:

AI has made the student research a breeze. What would have taken a long time to collate and sieve through information is now at the tip of your fingers with tools like Chat GPT, Gemini, claude, grok etc.

Presentations can be made easily. Websites can be created within an hour; graphic generation is easy for any scenario. Learning can be significantly enhanced by using the information available. However, ensure that the information is relevant and forms part of the specific competency you are training towards. Don’t just copy the content and reproduce to your tutor. When you do that, that would not present as your work and would come under plagiarism.

Rather use the information to enhance your knowledge and then answer the assessments in your own words.

What to be wary of with AI:

  • The information generated need not be correct and 100% accurate. Cross checking is always highly recommended.
  • Never put in any of your work which is your IP on AI as this could be easily shared with others or used without permission.
  • Do not share photos of you or any family members on any AI tools as Deepfakes and impersonation is prevalent.
  • Using AI all the time instead of thinking for yourself might affect your critical thinking skills, intuition and creativity.
  • If you depend on AI for your learning, you might not retain any knowledge as you are fully dependant on the content generated by AI rather than content which you create with your own knowledge and skills.

Bottom line:

While AI has a place in education and a learner’s journey a balance has to be struck. It is a tool which can be used, however will not be able to replace learning or teaching.