Last week I joined the AI@Oxford conference.
The headline was AI in education, but the debate wasn't whether machines will replace teachers. It waas about what actually makes a teacher irreplaceable and why do so many still get this wrong.
Usually, the conversation circles around automation, efficiency, and the fantasy of fully digital classrooms. People ask: "How soon before AI does it all?"
But this isn't a question to ask.
The real issue is how technology can amplify (not substitute!) the human core of teaching. At Oxford, the focus was on augmentation. Not replacement, not distraction.
Augmentation.
AI as an exoskeleton for the educator. That's the only direction that makes sense.
We're building on this too. In our programs, we hand off the routine, repetitive parts of teaching to neural networks.
What does that actually impact? Time.
Suddenly, the teacher is free to discuss code architecture and solution logic with a student, not just syntax drills. Not just "did you get the right answer," but the idea behind the answer.
And that's the difference between a coder and a sought-after engineer. The market doesn't pay for button-pushers. It pays for people who can reason.
There's another trap: mistaking entertainment for engagement.
Human-centric AI isn't about turning kids into zombies with endless gamification and flashy visuals. We've shifted away from that.
Our job isn't to distract, but to create a space where nothing gets in the way of real thinking.
No noise. No overload. Just the brain, working at full capacity without burning out.
And what about making mistakes?
That's not a flaw in the system. It is the system.
In engineering, a mistake isn't a disaster. It's data. We teach kids not to fear getting it wrong, but to use every misstep as feedback.
That's how you build real skill.
If you still think the future is about replacing teachers, you're barking at the wrong tree.
The only thing that matters is if you can combine a great teacher and smart tech to make sure any kid, anywhere, will get an Oxford-level education.
That's what will make a difference.
