Colman Noctor: Is AI in the classroom a welcome revolution or a shortcut to nowhere?

"Many parents are fascinated by, and uneasy about, AI’s impact on their children’s education. While AI offers efficiency and personalisation, it also raises concerns about fairness and human interaction."

Students value artificial intelligence as a study tool, but worry about its accuracy and that using it will diminish their capacity for critical thinking. Picture: iStock

Tue, 19 Aug, 2025 - 11:35

Colman Noctor

Dr Colman Noctor is a child and adolescent psychotherapist, a senior mental health lecturer at SETU Waterford, and the host of the 'Asking for a Parent' podcast.

As artificial intelligence threatens to reshape how children learn, we must balance its promise of personalised teaching with the risk of losing what lies at the heart of education — learning through human connection. With ChatGPT-5 and other AI programmes freely available, our understanding of teaching and learning could be transformed.

Many parents are fascinated by, and uneasy about, AI’s impact on their children’s education. While AI offers efficiency and personalisation, it also raises concerns about fairness and human interaction.