Have you ever had a teacher
that was just, well, kind of boring?
Maybe even a little, robotic?
We've all been there.
Let's face it, it's hard to learn
when you're being put to sleep.
But what if we found
a completely new way of learning?
This is WHAT IF, and here's what would happen
Schools all over the world are experimenting
with new ways of teaching using technology.
As our population reaches critical mass,
we may not have enough teachers
for every child on the planet.
Could robot teachers be a solution?
Or could it turn into a scary crisis
for our species?
Whether you're for it or against it,
scientists believe artificial intelligence
in the classroom is not far off.
That is, of course, if classrooms still exist.
So what would happen
if we replaced all our teachers with AI?
They may look like us,
or they could be entirely virtual,
like an avatar on the screen.
Regardless of what it looks like or sounds like,
AI in education
will simplify administrative tasks
that eat up a lot of time.
Grading exams will be automated,
learning interfaces will become smarter
with interactive textbooks,
and people with learning disabilities
or different learning styles
will be better accommodated.
Everything will be standardized
and customized to help students
learn more effectively.
Students could even choose to focus
on more specialized subjects
based on their interests,
which could help them
discover their passions,
or quirky, nerdy obsessions, earlier in life.
According to a 2016 UNESCO report,
an additional 20.1 million teachers
are needed to meet the goals
for equal access to education by 2030.
Many schools are already looking
into advanced systems to help close this gap.
For instance, automated services like Bakpax
use algorithms to read children's handwriting
and to grade tests and assignments.
In China, AI is used to create
personalized tutoring lessons,
surveillance and even brain wave trackers
to keep an eye on classroom progress.
Futurists believe education
is moving towards
highly individualized curricula,
allowing students to learn at their own pace
without having to hold back others.
With the proliferation of the internet
on a global scale,
the limitations of education
are becoming a thing of the past.
Teachers are experimenting
with virtual classrooms,
especially since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alongside this personalized data availability,
university and college admissions
might become automated as well.
Even job recruiters
could potentially use this data,
which may tailor candidates
to available positions.
Also, greater access to education
worldwide would mean
much higher competition for jobs.
And with a more educated population,
technological developments
will rapidly advance.
But this new way of learning
could come at a price.
If all our teachers were replaced by AI,
we would have to be extra careful
about security.
Just as the media is plagued with fake news,
we would be at risk
of having our education systems hacked
to spread false information or propaganda.
Whoever rules AI
holds the power to manipulate the entire world.
This new way of learning
might also affect children's health,
with too much screen time
being a known cause of obesity,
sleep disorders,
and a lack of interpersonal development.
So, maybe try not to binge-watch
too many What If videos.
We would also need widespread internet,
Wi-Fi networks,
and electricity
to power all these devices,
which could come at a great cost to our planet.
And, if artificial intelligence
becomes so advanced
that it gains self-awareness,
or sentience,
our species might run into some problems.
Currently, our AI is in the category of
It can perform tasks
using human-like capabilities,
but it can only do
what it is programmed to do.
With limited memory systems,
it can learn and improve
on basic tasks,
but we're far off
from a truly independent
artificial consciousness.
Let's just be extra careful though
and try not to kick them around too much.
I'd prefer to stay on their good side.
We still cannot authentically program empathy,
which is an important component
human teachers have.
For many kids,
teachers act as guidance counsellors,
role models,
coaches,
and even surrogate parents.
And we need teachers now more than ever.
As of 2016, UNESCO has reported
that 263 million children and youth
are out of school
and more than 70% of them
live in impoverished areas
of Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
Many teachers in these areas
are with little to no access
to educational resources.
Having consistent, easily accessible
AI-enhanced education online
could change these numbers drastically.
Perhaps, our next phase of human evolution
is dependent on a global AI school system.
But if all our teachers
can be replaced with artificial intelligence,
could other jobs suffer the same fate?
If you want to dive deeper into
how we humans might one day coexist with AI,
check out our 'What If Discussed' episode,
where we sit down with
Professor Joanna Bryson,
a specialist in artificial intelligence,
who shares her thoughts on our future with AI