A.I. School Is in Session: Two Takes on the Future of Education
Hard Fork
Sep 05
A.I. School Is in Session: Two Takes on the Future of Education
A.I. School Is in Session: Two Takes on the Future of Education

Hard Fork
Sep 05
Artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept in education—it's actively reshaping how students learn and teachers teach. From K-12 classrooms to university humanities departments, AI is transforming the structure and purpose of learning. This episode explores how schools are adapting, what students really think, and whether traditional education can survive the AI revolution.
AI is redefining education by enabling personalized, efficient learning experiences from elementary to higher education. At Alpha Schools, AI generates tailored lesson plans, freeing teachers to focus on mentorship and motivation rather than lectures. Despite concerns about bias, the model serves diverse students and improves outcomes by prioritizing engagement. In higher education, the humanities face an existential crisis as AI takes over writing and analysis, threatening long-form reading and liberal arts relevance. Students use AI for everything from translation to study aids, but ethical concerns and inequities in access persist. As AI becomes as routine as calculators, there’s growing fear that overreliance could erode foundational skills. The future may lie not in resisting AI, but in redesigning education to teach students how to use it wisely—while preserving critical thinking, self-awareness, and the deeper purpose of learning in a world where machines can do much of the work.
03:19
03:19
Students finish academics in school and have no homework thanks to AI efficiency.
21:07
21:07
Effective learning is 90% motivated student, 10% pace and level guided by AI.
48:10
48:10
Long-form, immersive literacy is ending as a widespread cultural phenomenon
1:05:41
1:05:41
Learning a language is about understanding culture and thinking differently