�����̨

Will AI replace us, make us lazy, or be our new collaborators?

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to evolve, its influence on education raises several questions, such as will AI replace teachers, will AI make us and students lazy, and how can we effectively collaborate with AI?

Introduction

In April, we engaged in two events that explored the influence of AI in education and how LA fits into this development. Together with the TU Eindhoven, the Learning Analytics (LA) team and special interest group (SIG) LA of Utrecht University organized a webinar where several colleagues from Dutch higher education institutions and companies shared their key takeaways from —the leading international conference in our field. These insights sparked discussions on how emerging developments could shape both education and research.

We also attended the , hosted by Erasmus University. This summit focused on the implications of AI-driven hyper-personalization and whether such developments truly benefit society, including the educational sector.

In this blog, we summarize the highlights from both events and reflect on the evolving role of AI in education, particularly through the lens of LA.

So, will AI replace teachers?

While AI enables hyper-personalized learning environments, the idea that it could replace teachers is unlikely. As data summit keynote speaker pointed out that technologies like radio, TV, and the internet were all predicted to replace teachers—but they never did. Her key insight was that learning centers on the process of achieving tasks rather than just task performance—and teachers remain essential in this process.

Can we collaborate with AI?

If AI can’t replace teachers, could it become a collaborator? This is something we discussed during the webinar. Most webinar participants see current AI tools more as applications than true collaborators. Still, one attendee suggested that collaboration may already be happening—provided humans maintain agency in the interaction.

Will AI make us lazy?

The use of AI, either as collaborator or as application led to another questions: could AI lead to “cognitive laziness”? How might AI usage affect educational goals like developing students' reflective capacities? To address this, some educators now ask students to reflect on their AI use—why they used it, how, and what they learned from it.

From Product to Process

In the previous paragraphs, the importance of the learning process is highlighted. Teachers are considered important for the learning process and collaboration or use of AI should not negatively affect the learning process and result in cognitive laziness. This ties in with a question that was posed during the webinar: should we shift our focus from learning product to learning process with the presence of AI? This question led to a follow up question: Can we effectively measure the learning process? What are good metrics? Capturing the dynamic nature of learning requires multiple parameters, as "learning is an active verb". It cannot be reduced to a single metric.

AI might be able to support teachers analyze and better understand the learning process.

AI as a Support Tool

So, perhaps the role of AI in education (for now) is a supportive one.

Generative AI might be able to support teachers in providing feedback on questions with objectively correct answers. Although AI still has limitations even with objective material.

Large Language Models (LLMs) show promise in reducing teacher workload—e.g., by generating questions or mapping them to learning objectives. Still, these models tend to focus on positive responses while neglecting negative ones. Beyond workload reduction, some suggested AI could potentially improve quality by serving as a critical reviewer.

Regardless of how AI is used as a support tool, the "human in the loop" approach remains essential, considering the current limitations of AI.

The Future of AI and the role of LA

When asked if LA is becoming more or less important amid the AI wave, the webinar participants agreed: it’s becoming more vital. This was also emphasized in : "The LA cycle remains key to understanding and guiding AI in education. The only way to monitor the use of AI and make it work for us is through careful study and continuous improvement."

Conclusion.

So, it seems unlikely that AI will replace teachers, but it can enhance their work when used thoughtfully. The focus should remain on supporting the learning process. With careful integration and continuous evaluation through LA, AI can become a valuable support tool for teachers.

Previous blogs

Previous blogs can be found on the teaching at Utrecht University (TA�����̨) website (Dutch only)

2. .
3. ?
4. .