Google has cautioned students against relying on Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a shortcut to learning, urging them to use the technology to develop critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving skills.
Google’s Vice President and General Manager, Education, Chris Phillips, on Tuesday September 8, gave the warning during a virtual roundtable on the company’s new AI-powered learning tools for students and teachers. He said AI was reshaping education but teachers must remain central to the learning process.
Phillips said Google’s global study with Ipsos found that learning had become the leading reason people use AI. He added that while 86 per cent of teachers wanted to use AI in classrooms, only 17 per cent felt adequately trained, prompting Google to expand its free AI training for educators.
Google’s Head of Learning Science, Julia Wilcowski, said effective learning requires students to engage with content, practise, reflect and apply knowledge rather than simply receive answers. She noted that trials in Sierra Leone and Italy showed improved learning outcomes when teachers used Google’s guided AI tools.
Google’s Director of Gemini for Education, Marta McAlister, said new features would allow students to create personalised study materials, quizzes, lessons and progress tracking using syllabuses and lecture notes. She also highlighted planned Google Lens features for analysing diagrams and mathematics problems and providing step-by-step guidance.
Google officials, however, stressed that AI should complement rather than replace teachers or human judgment. They urged students and educators to fact-check AI-generated information and remain aware that AI systems can sometimes produce inaccurate responses.
Leave a comment