Teachers Are Like ‘Aaierballs’: Why AI Won’t Take Over Education

Teachers Are Like Aaierballs!

There is still considerable debate about whether AI will replace teachers. Kim put this discussion into context by opening her keynote with an anecdote about the Groningen aaierbal. Several audience members initially raised their eyebrows, followed by laughter and recognition.

Few people are familiar with the aaierbal, a vegetarian snack from Groningen that has struggled to gain popularity beyond the region, despite substantial investment. Why? Its production cannot be automated. No two eggs are the same, so making an aaierbal remains human work. Kim explained: “If something relatively simple like an aaierbal cannot be automated, how can we think that AI could replace teachers?”

Embrace (Still) Not Knowing

Kim Brandes placed AI in education within the broader context of system change and other developments in schools. “AI certainly provides opportunities and can offer smart solutions, but it will always be just one piece of the puzzle.”

As an example, she referred to the prototype of the Babel Bear. The technology behind this project is relatively straightforward; far more complex is the broader issue of multilingualism in the classroom that the Babel Bear is designed to support. This applies to all NOLAI projects in which responsible AI prototypes are being developed. “You very quickly arrive at the question of what the true purpose of our education system is, what we value within it, and how technology can support that. That is more important than what is technologically possible.”

Making the Wrong Decisions Is Part of the Process

“See AI as a new tool that helps teachers with very specific tasks, complementing them in ways that enrich education and make more possible,” Kim said. “Technologically, a great deal is already possible, and increasingly so. The key is knowing when and for what purposes to use (or not use) AI in the classroom.”

Success is not always guaranteed. It may well be that, in the course of a project, you jointly conclude that the AI does not deliver what was intended. That is simply part of innovation, which is precisely why a safe environment for experimentation is essential.

It takes time to give AI a meaningful place in education: time to develop AI, to shape sound policy, and to embed it in everyday practice. “That takes years,” Kim emphasised. “It is not surprising that we do not yet have all the answers, we will have to find them together.”

Develop and Use More Educational AI

To shape the education of a future that has already begun, Kim calls on schools, researchers and companies to collaborate in developing more responsible educational AI: AI designed specifically for and with teachers. This requires not only substantial input from teachers, but also from researchers studying AI’s impact on teachers and pupils, as well as Dutch companies capable of developing intelligent software.

Equal partnership is crucial. That is challenging for many reasons, but the outcomes are more than worth it. “Our education system, our teachers and our pupils will all benefit.”