How close are we to automating education?

With the public release of AI programs such as ChatGPT, many are asking what impact AI will have on the future of education. Much of this hype is justified. While still imperfect, ChatGPT is well on its way to being able to write college-level essays on any given topic. Yet, in other ways, the hype surrounding AI technology is somewhat premature. For example, claims that robots will soon replace educators or that AI systems can compete with 1:1 tutoring remain squarely in the realm of science fiction.