AI and teachers

With the possibilities thrown open by AI, can human teachers be replaced? While AI can handle surveys, data processing and analysis far more efficiently, a teacher's role may never be completely replaced by a robot. Here is why. Teaching is far more than transferring data from a teacher to a pupil. As we grow more dependent on virtual teaching platforms, we cannot overlook the inevitability of a personal teacher. In many ancient Asian contexts, gurus and shishyas even lived together as life skills and knowledge were imparted to students. So, the teacher knew the subject matter and also lived an exemplary life worthy of emulation. Integrity meant character matched capability.

John Searle's thought experiment in cognitive philosophy highlights the personal component of human discernment against a machine's proficiency. While AI tools can give us correct responses, they would never be able to 'understand' as they would be focused on the syntax of symbols, and not the semantics of the message. A few decades ago, Michael Polanyi, a philosopher of science, pointed out that even in the scientific institution, there is a tradition of knowledge where everything is not just 'impersonal' data. There is an element of trust, personal knowledge, judgement and social context that cannot be ignored. While AI might bring multiple skills and incredible speeds to the table, we need people to lead people.