Could AI end grind schools?

AI in education is not the Messiah, but it could improve things, especially where resources are tight 

Jane D'Alton (Head of Pastoral and Safeguarding) at the Institute of Education on Leeson Street in Dublin welcomes students for the beginning of the Leaving Certificate exams last month. International school group Dukes Education purchased the Institute in 2023 for a sum close to €130m. Photo: Justin Farrelly / ©RollingNews.ie

With ASTI’s rejection of proposals for Leaving Certificate reforms, there is now a realistic possibility that Ireland will be one of the first countries to witness industrial action over the use of artificial intelligence in education. 

Even if this impasse is eventually resolved, this foregrounds the genuine need for a discussion of what role we want AI to play in our education system. At the moment, this debate in education is polarised and it’s the worst type of polarised debate – one where both sides are correct.