Will AI be a bane or boon for education?

The advent of artificial intelligence could increase societal inequalities, or it could provide teachers with the tools to customize instruction for every individual student. The outcome comes down to how our society lays the groundwork for the rapid changes AI promises to deliver. Those are a few of the conclusions offered Thursday by a panel of experts at a Politico event titled "The Age of AI: The Future of Work, Workers and Education." As it currently operates, "education is intended to reproduce social norms," said Gerry McCartney, CIO of Purdue University. "To the extent that we can open up all [aspects] of education to all citizens through technology, we can move away from this factory model of education … which really only suits" entrenched interests.