ChatGPT Isn't the Only Way to Use AI in Education

Soon after ChatGPT broke the internet, it sparked an all-too-familiar question for new technologies: What can it do for education? Many feared it would worsen plagiarism and further damage an already decaying humanism in the academy, while others lauded its potential to spark creativity and handle mundane educational tasks. Of course, ChatGPT is just one of many advances in artificial intelligence that have the capacity to alter pedagogical practices. The allure of AI-powered tools to help individuals maximize their understanding of academic subjects (or more effectively prepare for exams) by offering them the right content, in the right way, at the right time for them has spurred new investments from governments and private philanthropies. There is reason to be excited about such tools, especially if they can mitigate barriers to a higher quality or life--like reading proficiency disparities by race, which the NAACP has highlighted as a civil rights issue.