How AI Can Improve K-12 Education in the United States
Personalized learning powered by AI provides a unique opportunity to close learning gaps between students in lower-income schools and those in wealthier ones, as well as improve educational outcomes for all students.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to improve K-12 education in the United States. For students, AI can provide them a personalized learning experience tailored to their individual preferences and needs, immediate feedback on their work and answers to their questions, and increased access to tutoring and other educational materials. For teachers, it can help automate some of their workload, design better interventions, and reduce burnout. And for administrators, AI can monitor the student body and provide preemptive interventions with the help of predictive analytics. But while there are many benefits to AI in schools, there are a number of technical, operational, and social challenges that limit AI-driven innovation in the education sector. This report explores existing and potential uses of AI in K-12 education in the United States as well as the challenges that hinder the technology’s adoption and effectiveness.
While some may fear greater use of AI in the classroom will eliminate jobs for teachers or invade student privacy, the fundamental purpose of AI in schools is to improve the quality of education for students. Personalized learning powered by AI provides a unique opportunity to close learning gaps between students in lower-income schools and those in wealthier ones, as well as improve educational outcomes for all students, regardless of income. By tailoring instruction to students’ learning styles and areas of weakness, AI applications can expedite student progress and increase engagement in the classroom. This report outlines specific ways AI can support students, teachers, and administrators in improving education—and access to it.
The U.S. Department of Education should take the following steps to promote effective AI deployment and use:
- Develop a 10-year plan for AI in education, keeping in mind the challenges many schools face with limited digital capacity and resources, data quality, and stakeholder resistance
- Develop AI grants to foster the adoption of AI in education and explore the creation of a model data-driven school district
- Support AI product procurement for schools by strengthening information repositories that review AI products in education
