- 7 months ago
Educators at the India Today Education Conclave 2026 say AI can support classrooms but warn against overreliance. Teachers and parents remain central to learning.
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00:00So thank you so much. And the one thing I can say is that a lot of people have been waiting for this session to happen because I was told that, you know, we are waiting for the AI session.
00:09And the other thing I noticed since this morning, while we've been discussing every aspect of education, AI has trickled into every conversation invariably.
00:20So one thing is for sure, this is the reality of today. And there are no two ways about AI and education not walking the same path.
00:31But what really are the challenges? What really could be the drawbacks? What do we have to navigate? We'll discuss on the finer points.
00:38So I want to start with my first question and you can take it in that order.
00:41Sharmila, is AI a teaching aid, a co-teacher or a disruptor of the traditional classroom?
00:51So I think all three, it is a teaching aid because it is such a wonderful aid.
00:57I mean, there's so much possibility with AI. And in the classroom where a teacher is so, you know, distraught with so much administrative stuff,
01:05it is so nice to bring all these changes into the classroom, you know, be it a presentation, be it an experiential learning class or having a quick quiz or just some exciting story.
01:20So it just brings in so much into the classroom that I think it's really a change maker in the classroom.
01:29It is also a co-teacher because I would not, under any circumstances, you know, sort of undermine the role of the teacher.
01:45The teacher is here to stay. She or he will always be there in the classroom, guiding the children, helping the children, supporting the children.
01:54AI will always be that teaching tool. And a disruptor also, disruptor in the positive way. It's how you look at AI.
02:04If it's changing the old classroom, yes, it's a disruptor because the classroom will look different now.
02:12The classroom will not always have the teacher up in front and the children sitting as passive receptors.
02:18So the teaching will be dual. I mean, the teachers and the children will learn together.
02:23So I think in that way, it is a disruptor. Disruptor in the negative sense also, because if the children are not applying themselves and just using AI to just generate homework, generate, you know, then that is also the sad part of.
02:40But I think that is just one of the flaws of AI. But if you sensibly with responsibility, I think there's a lot that we can do with AI in the classroom.
02:50What do you think, Surabhi?
02:53I would say that AI is a great teaching aid. And it has a lot of co-teaching potential, definitely.
03:00And as ma'am said, that it doesn't undermine the role of the teacher. But I think it has a potential to be a disruptor also, when it is used without a purpose or a proper pedagogy.
03:12So that thoughtful mindset is required when we are enabling a classroom into an AI-enabled classroom.
03:21So I think a proper way of implementing this AI is very, very important as far as its purpose is concerned.
03:30So just one point to add, I think, given the context, the role of teacher becomes increasingly important, right?
03:39In the last session, as Manju ma'am narrated a beautiful story, the school is not only a temple of knowledge, it is also culture building, it is also socio-emotional.
03:48So I think the role of teacher, making sure that we sort of look at the possibilities around AI and make sure the children are not lost, becomes critical today.
03:58Okay, so the other point, and as that has come up in the conversations since this morning, is that we are in the transitional phase.
04:06And the next five years are extremely critical, especially for first-generation learners.
04:12Can AI bridge language, learning and accessibility gaps?
04:16Of course, you know, I mean, most of us in this class, in this room today are privileged because our parents had, were educated.
04:28And so whenever we ran into, we couldn't understand something in school, we reached out to our parents.
04:34In the other household, where the parents are not educated, it is very difficult for these children,
04:41and especially when education sometimes isn't a language, which also is a foreign language, where English is not their language.
04:50You know, they are not so confident about the language.
04:53If AI can be, if AI can replace that teacher and bring the teacher into the, into the, for the child, be there for the child,
05:04and look at teaching as, you know, answering every question, like, like the question the gentleman asked,
05:12that my father says om, but I don't know what om means.
05:15So that is the kind of question a child should ask in a classroom, but will never have the confidence to ask.
05:22But he will ask an AI teacher, and he will get an answer for it.
05:26So I think it is a great teacher for a child who is, who comes from a background which is different from many other children.
05:34What is your opinion when it comes to tier 2, tier 3 cities?
05:40Also, when you mention the language divide, or those students who are not well versed with English.
05:46Now, especially in certain states where we see that, you know, there is a sort of resistance when it comes to NEP,
05:52or there is emphasis on the regional language.
05:55What about those students?
05:56So I think technology like AI, a powerful technology like AI, if used effectively, can actually be a great equalizer.
06:09So to your question around tier 2 and tier 3, we can also build on the inclusive element of it,
06:15where we are talking about first generation learners, we are talking about lack of knowledge base, right?
06:22So I think if used effectively, it can really bridge that gap and be more inclusive.
06:27Also, I would say that AI is a great platform for multidisciplinary and multilingual learning.
06:36If you see, the government has also made efforts with the Bhashini app.
06:40So sources like those, they bridge the gap of the language barrier,
06:45which usually such first generation children they face.
06:49Also, I would say that such apps or AI cannot replace the human touch, the cultural differences which are there,
06:59the mental health issues, the economic, socioeconomic background issues.
07:03So that is where a teacher has to work hand-in-hand with all such AI tools.
07:12Alright, so the other part for those who may be skeptical or may not know of what AI holds for us in the future.
07:22Ask, are we raising a generation that may stop thinking and start prompting?
07:26Will over-reliance on AI weaken critical thinking, creativity and originality?
07:32It will weaken critical thinking if you are using AI irresponsibly.
07:38If you are just downloading and pasting and sending it out as your homework, it will reduce critical thinking.
07:45But if you use AI and if you use your whatever you've got from AI to build on your concept,
07:53to understand better, to create out of it, you know, then I think it just develops thinking.
08:00It just makes you a better student.
08:02It makes you understand better.
08:04So it is very important to use every tool, whatever we have.
08:09If you use it correctly, you benefit from it.
08:12If you use it without thinking irresponsibly, you don't benefit from it.
08:16So I think AI is just one of those tools.
08:18And I think here the primary responsibility is also of the teacher to teach the child how to use it well.
08:26You know, like, for example, if you have homework that is given with a clause of justification,
08:34justify this, rationalize this, elaborate on this,
08:38then AI will not be able to help you.
08:41You have to develop that yourself.
08:44So it's fine if you've got support from AI, but then has it broadened your knowledge?
08:50Has it made you sort of study beyond that?
08:54I think then the work is done.
08:57No, but then this also brings me to the question,
08:59as is being said, that in many a case,
09:02the students are ahead of teachers in understanding and adapting AI.
09:06So what do teachers do then?
09:09So, of course, I would like to differ a bit here.
09:14I agree that over-reliance on any tool, it weakens thinking.
09:19So somewhere it is required that we teach our children to use AI just as a starting point and not a final answer.
09:26So it's just a prompt.
09:29And we have to teach our children to learn to use that prompt to their advantage, but only up to a limit.
09:36So we have to teach them to verify what outputs the AI platforms are giving.
09:40What are the questions that we have to ask?
09:43Whatever information and data we are getting from the AI.
09:48Now, also, the beauty of generative AI platforms is they are highly trainable.
09:54So if I'm giving my prompts again and again, it recognizes my patterns.
09:58It recognizes my personality.
10:01So evaluate and justify, it might be able to do.
10:05So that is where the teacher's role comes in, to teach or sensitize the child in terms of how far this AI is helpful
10:15and where to stop and where to use the human mind and where to do a collaborative learning.
10:21So I think physically also the classroom teaching learning strategies are highly relevant.
10:27AI tools are just a scaffolding there.
10:30It's not a replacement to it.
10:33So AI cannot replace the teacher.
10:36It cannot sideline them.
10:39That's what.
10:39We'll talk about that point in greater detail.
10:41But I remember in one of the earlier conversations,
10:43it was said that the student is saying that AI is saying this.
10:47And I'm sure this is the answer.
10:49And my teacher doesn't know.
10:50And the sense of resistance to say that, no, your teacher is right.
10:53You can't like blindly depend on AI.
10:56How do you deal with the students then, especially for the teachers?
10:59See, that's not only a teacher's problem.
11:01As a father of a teenage daughter, that's a problem of a parent as well.
11:06So the point is, let me just take a step back and look at the, I mean, I'm sure all of us agree that we're living in changing times, right?
11:14But you, and it's a cliche, but it's true.
11:17But when you add technology, when you add AI to this, it becomes exponentially changing.
11:23Let me just take a quick example.
11:25A few decades ago, we used to describe the word as VUCA word, volatile, you know, complex, ambiguous.
11:32Now there is a new framework for that, which is Bani.
11:34We're talking about brittle, we're talking about incomprehensible.
11:37So this will always be the scenario where the new age learners, the children growing up with these technologies will be ahead of parents as well as teachers.
11:47So the point is, as ma'am said earlier, how do you make sure that we look at, we don't resist that technology.
11:58We make sure that we enable the learners to use the technology in the right ways.
12:02And in a way, if I can use that word, regulate that a bit, I think that's the best way out.
12:10Like, you have to, you know, listen to your children in any other context.
12:14They will, as they're growing up, they will have their opinions on different things.
12:18They will have their opinion on AI.
12:19So I think we'll have to be patient listeners as well and make sure they sort of adopt it in the right way.
12:24You know, I want to talk about this in greater detail, especially for what it means for the parent, even in the form of their parenting.
12:33So I remember my mother would sit me down and make me memorize the tables or give me that time or probably get me a good tutor who would, like, at that time charge 1,000, 2,000 rupees an hour.
12:48Now, we know that with AI teaching you, all of that gets eliminated.
12:54But how does it change for the parent to now ensure that the child is dealing with AI in the right manner?
13:02And how does a parent monitor that?
13:05I think here, you know, it's about parental engagement.
13:10You cannot leave teaching and coaching to AI.
13:14You cannot say, okay, you take this iPad and you learn about this.
13:18You have to be a part of that, at least for a student in school until a child is about 17, 18.
13:26Because you want to see what the child is seeing, right?
13:31You want to monitor what the child is doing.
13:34So I think that is something you cannot take away from parenting.
13:37It's not that you can just now pass it on that.
13:40You know, in earlier times, I remember when in the evenings in many houses, the dining table used to become the study table.
13:51And the child used to study at the center, you know, in the house, in the middle of the house.
13:56And with people walking around, parents helping them.
13:59And it was such a beautiful experience.
14:01Now, this whole thing of a child studying alone in a room with the door closed is sometimes scary, particularly when you have, you know, a laptop or an iPad where the child, you don't know what the child is serving.
14:17So I think parenting also needs to be responsible and responsive.
14:21And, you know, there have been cases where one of the cases that said that the mother claimed that AI chatbots encourage their sons to kill themselves.
14:33Now, there have been several such cases that have been reported in the news.
14:36Parents have been wanting safeguards on AI.
14:39So it is extremely concerning for the parents to sometimes the personal chats that AI has with the child and where that goes.
14:49True.
14:49So AI is a high potential and a high risk engagement.
14:55So where that potential stops and the risk starts, as a parent, I think it's very difficult to understand.
15:02And, of course, there are ways to monitor what apps, what platforms our child is actually engaging in.
15:10And that is where we can have all the cyber security that we need to have.
15:15But, again, in today's time with the advent of online classes and online platforms, it has become a necessity to give the devices and the internet connections to the children.
15:25So I think a proper policy is required or maybe, I don't know if there's a parenting policy on this.
15:33It's a very difficult area to navigate.
15:36So really not sure how we should navigate that in the capacity of parent because nowadays all the parents are mostly working, whether they are working from home or not working from home, but they are engaged in their own devices.
15:50So somewhere the children are left to fend for themselves.
15:54So what do we do about it?
15:55It's like the new society which is emerging.
15:58And where do I make that choice of not working and being all the time engaged with the child?
16:04So there are careers which mothers and fathers have to look after.
16:09Times are expensive.
16:10So not really sure how.
16:13I think this is a point where we should have a lot more dedicated discussion.
16:17You know, one of the speakers in the earlier session said that while we need to get the child AI ready, but we also need to get the parents' AI ready and probably have those collaborative sessions to help teach the parent how to navigate AI with the child.
16:35You think that's more important than ever?
16:37That's more important than ever.
16:39So if we sort of zoom out and talk about a macro level, there is a need for a wider policy at school level and beyond.
16:49And when we also talk about always learning, when we also talk about learning at every age, I think this is a skill that parents would need to either unlearn and relearn.
16:59That's really, really important.
17:01If I sort of zoom in and say the things at a micro level in a lighter way, I think it's important for us to be able to give them time.
17:09Very true.
17:10It finally circles back to that.
17:13Again, what is the most worrisome concern?
17:17Is it data privacy, misinformation, over-dependence?
17:20Of course, we've discussed.
17:22But what about ensuring that the right data goes because children are impressionable?
17:27They're too young.
17:28They don't know what all they're sharing and where they should stop.
17:32I think all three, all three are worrisome.
17:35And that is where the role of the parent and the teacher comes in, that both, you know, both parent and teacher have to be engaged with what the child is doing.
17:47And I think that is crucial.
17:52You know, if you know what your child is doing, the sites the child is visiting, the information the child is accessing, these are very crucial to be able to understand even behavior patterns of the child.
18:07So many times we say that child behavior has changed because they've, like you said, that the AI platform encouraged the child to commit suicide.
18:15So these are things as parents, as teachers, as adults in the life of the child, we have to be, you know, connected with.
18:22In my opinion, as I said, it's very scary that these AI, generative AI platforms are so trainable.
18:33They know us in and out.
18:34They know our choices.
18:35They know our personality very, very well.
18:38The more data we feed into it, the more trained they get into knowing us.
18:42But more than that, the privacy concerns, I feel that the biases it creates, because these trainings of the generative AI takes place through how much data a larger population is feeding into.
18:56So that, it takes, it's an intelligent thing, AI, but it's not human.
19:01It cannot use its mind to understand what is right and what is wrong.
19:05So whatever is the data a larger population fills in, that is truth for the AI.
19:11So that is what it creates a bias.
19:14So there are ethical issues which are very, very important to be addressed very immediately.
19:20There has to be a certain policy around it.
19:23There has to be a certain monitoring around how these platforms are trained.
19:27So for me, that is more important because that is where the child gets impacted.
19:32Because for the child who's using that platform, that's the truth.
19:36But it's actually not the truth.
19:37That's not the true picture of the society or the data.
19:41So for me, that stands out.
19:43If I can just add to that, so problem, I think all three, I agree with ma'am that all three are real big problems and it's scary in a way, right?
19:54And therefore, this is where human centering AI comes into peace, right?
19:58So the point is we have to, as educators, we have to be able to carefully pick up use cases.
20:03For example, one use case could be research, right?
20:07You know, many years back, a learner would go to a library, you know, search physical books.
20:11Now you can go to any AI tool and do it.
20:14But the important part is that the fact checking, right, and applying on critical thinking remains really important.
20:21So I think carefully handpick the use cases and, of course, give it time, right?
20:27We don't have to rush it, technology is changing so fast, so don't rush into the use cases.
20:31Give it time, test it, test the use cases with learners, teachers, parents, and I think then probably we'll be able to mitigate those challenges.
20:40But the challenges are really there.
20:42And also it's a learning process for AI creators, for AI users, for everyone.
20:48You know, Professor Kamal is sitting in front and I was watching your presentation and he made it look like so smooth as if AI is the best thing to happen to any student of how learning has been made so much easy of how language is not a barrier of how the student can just ask the questions and make it an experiential learning for himself the way he wants it.
21:11To how AI should do it for him.
21:14So, again, I know it has a lot of benefits, but again, how we have to navigate through the drawbacks as well.
21:21To now understand the new roles that teachers will play in AI-enabled classrooms, you've spoken about how we need to monitor everything, teach them to how to use AI, but can AI replace teaching roles?
21:33Never.
21:35I don't think AI can ever replace the teacher.
21:37It's, you know, like they would say earlier that, I mean, that a teacher is not a sage on the stage, but a guide by the side.
21:45And I think that's what AI does to you.
21:47You always will be the guide by the side.
21:50You will always hold the child's hand.
21:52You will always help the child make correct judgment.
21:56You will always support the child when the child is going through an emotional, social, you know, dilemma, difficulty.
22:04You have to be there.
22:07The teacher is irreplaceable.
22:09But AI will be a teaching tool in the hand of the teacher to just help make the teaching better, make it differentiated for different learners, make it more interesting, maybe, you know, allow children to think differently and take back differently from the same classroom.
22:29So, I think that is what AI will do.
22:31I don't think, I don't see a teaching, a classroom without a teacher ever.
22:38So, ma'am, I'd also like you to add on this.
22:41Do we need national guidelines on AI use in schools?
22:44Because to my understanding and what I was looking up, there aren't.
22:48So, I think around 2017, Neeti Ayo gave out the national strategy for AI.
22:56But it was a broader policy document which talks more about the ethical issues and how AI is functioning and how in a broader policy perspective it should function.
23:07But I think in today's time when it has become, and I agree with Kamal, sir, that it's actually, you know, highly engaging platform.
23:18I agree with you, sir.
23:20It's a boon for us.
23:21More than a bane, it is a boon.
23:22So, somewhere a policy document is required for how it has to work around the school systems, the education system, more focused on the impressionable mind, especially at the school level.
23:35So, I believe that is very much required that there is a dialogue around it and that should happen very quickly because it's here to stay.
23:44It's going to stay.
23:45We better embrace it.
23:46I think I agree.
23:49There's a need for policies at different levels, especially at the school education.
23:53All right.
23:54So, we are about two minutes left in our session and I want to have closing remarks from all of you on two points primarily.
24:02Is AI a risk or revolution?
24:05And what will the Indian classroom of 2030 realistically look like?
24:12A revolution, of course, because the classroom is going to change.
24:15It won't look the same.
24:17A risk if it's not, you know, if it's used irresponsibility, irresponsibly.
24:25And the 2030 classroom will be a very nice, I think, sharing of learning where teachers and students will share learning.
24:38You know, you just said sometimes that our children come and say that my teacher doesn't know AI as well as I do.
24:43Absolutely, it's given.
24:46I mean, they are the, you know, this generation who will know, you know, these AI tools much better than we do.
24:54And so, it's fine for me as a teacher to reach out and say, can you help me with this?
24:58I really don't know it.
24:59So, it's fine.
25:00It's going to be an exciting place because knowledge will be really shared.
25:05So, teachers, no more as just information givers now as mentors as we've been discussing.
25:12So, I would say that AI is a revolution with a lot of risk which are easily avoidable.
25:18So, provided we have a purpose, we have an intention and we have the right way of upskilling our teachers.
25:28So, I think in 2030 what I see a classroom is like it has a highly upskilled teacher because that is the need of the hour.
25:38And with these upskilled teachers, I'm sure the pedagogy is going to change in the classroom, not just with the AI but also with the physical formats of the classroom and the way the teaching learning strategies are going to emerge.
25:52Because teachers will become the learning designers now, not just for information delivery.
26:00So, yes, AI is a real potential, a real possibility but only if we manage the risks and make sure that the role of a teacher is maintained, role of a teacher as a mentor, as a facilitator, as caring for the well-being of the learner is intact.
26:18So, when server presenting, giving the demo about talking to an AI bot in Hindi, talking about Ohm's law, I think it was magical, you wanted to stand up and clap.
26:31But we'll have to be able to manage the risks.
26:33So, yes, it is a potential.
26:34Now, I'll just flip the second question and say how should not a 2030 classroom look like?
26:42And I'll refer to one of the English stories that we had in our curriculum, fun they had by Isaac Asimov, where, you know, he talks about a fictional classroom of tomorrow where a robotic teacher is teaching geography and science and there are problems in the geography sector.
27:02So, a local inspector comes to fix it up.
27:05So, definitely not that classroom.
27:06I get scared when I look at that.
27:08I think it's going to be more difficult for the parents than the students.
27:12Thank you so much for joining us in this session.
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