StatusIn preparation · the full piece will follow our opening
What AI does well
It’s worth being honest about this first. AI can explain a concept several ways, draft an essay, solve a math problem and summarize a chapter in seconds. If school is mostly about producing those things, it’s fair to ask what a child is learning that a machine can’t already do.
What it can’t do
AI can’t decide what is worth caring about. It doesn’t take responsibility for a choice, notice that a friend is struggling, stand up and persuade a room, or imagine something that has never been done. It can’t want to understand something. Those are the capacities your child will need most, and they’re built slowly, through practice.
Answers are cheap; judgement isn’t.
What this means for school
Strong foundations matter more, not less, because you can’t judge an answer you don’t understand. On top of those foundations, children need practice deciding, creating and leading, with real work and real feedback. The full piece will describe what that looks like in an ordinary week.
What you can do at home
Ask your child what they think before asking what the answer is. Let them make decisions with real consequences, at a size that suits their age. When they use AI, ask them to explain the answer back to you in their own words.
What you’ll take away
- 01Answers are cheap; judgement isn’t.
- 02Foundations matter more in a world with AI, not less.
- 03Ask what your child thinks before asking what the answer is.
