The Promises and Perils of Agentic AI in Education: Navigating Innovation, Ethics, and Equity
By Shahida Rehman
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly influencing education, and the emergence of agentic AI represents a significant evolution. Unlike traditional AI, which primarily assists with tasks like content generation or query responses, agentic AI operates with greater autonomy, adapting to individual learning needs and classroom dynamics in real-time. This technology, capable of learning and improving, is changing how knowledge is delivered, assessed, and personalized, presenting notable opportunities for educational enhancement. However, its integration also raises important ethical considerations, equity concerns, and practical implementation challenges that require careful consideration.
Argument 1: Personalizing Learning Experiences with Agentic AI
Traditional education systems often face difficulties in providing personalized learning due to the constraints of large and diverse classrooms. Agentic AI offers a potential solution by:
Analyzing student progress dynamically: Tracking learning in an ongoing manner.
Adjusting difficulty levels: Tailoring challenges to individual student abilities.
Providing targeted support: Offering relevant feedback and resources as needed.
Khanmigo and Duolingo: Examples of Personalized Learning
Consider Khanmigo from Khan Academy, an agentic AI designed to offer personalized mentorship by adapting to individual learning paces and preferences. It works to identify knowledge gaps and suggest customized exercises, aiming to increase student engagement in subjects like mathematics and language arts. Similarly, Duolingo’s adaptive language learning uses AI to personalize the language learning process based on user performance. The system adjusts lesson difficulty, allowing students to progress at a pace that suits them best. These platforms illustrate how agentic AI can contribute to more individualized learning experiences, which can be challenging to achieve in conventional classrooms.
Points to Consider:
Dependence on Technology: As we embrace personalized AI learning, we must ask — are we risking an over-reliance on technology for academic success?
Fairness and Bias: It’s crucial to examine whether AI-driven personalization could inadvertently introduce or worsen biases in student assessment if not carefully monitored for fairness.
Evolving Teacher Roles: Looking ahead, how will the roles of teachers need to adapt and evolve in educational environments that increasingly incorporate AI-assisted personalized learning?
Potential Concern: If not carefully managed, AI-driven personalization could result in an over-reliance on technology, potentially hindering the development of students’ critical thinking and independent problem-solving abilities.
Argument 2: Agentic AI as a Tool for Educator Support
Educators dedicate considerable time to administrative duties, including grading, lesson planning, and tracking student progress. Agentic AI has the capacity to automate some of these tasks, potentially allowing educators to concentrate more on student interaction and fostering higher-level thinking skills.
University of Sydney’s AI Doubles: Supporting Educators and Students
At the University of Sydney, educators have been exploring AI doubles — agentic AI assistants designed to provide timely and tailored feedback to students. These systems analyze student work, identify common misunderstandings, and offer guidance. This can free up educators to focus on more in-depth interactions with students, moving away from repetitive grading tasks. For example, an AI agent was developed for a Fundamentals of Chemistry course to help address variations in students’ prior knowledge.
Jill Watson and Cogniti Platform: Expanding Assistance in Education
Furthermore, Jill Watson, the virtual teaching assistant at Georgia Tech, effectively handles student questions in large courses. By learning from past interactions, Jill can anticipate and respond to common queries, thus lessening the workload for instructors. Additionally, the University of Sydney’s Cogniti platform enables educators to create AI chatbot agents specific to their courses. These agents can offer personalized feedback and guidance, further showing how agentic AI can assist educators in managing their responsibilities and supporting students.
Further Reflections:
Human Educator Roles: As AI takes on administrative tasks, we need to consider — will this automation lead to a reduction in the need for human educators, or will it primarily enhance their effectiveness and allow them to focus on other vital aspects of teaching?
Teacher Oversight: What safeguards should schools put in place to ensure teachers maintain appropriate oversight and control over AI-generated recommendations and insights, preventing an excessive dependence on these tools?
New Educator Skills: Looking to the future, what new skills and knowledge should educators develop to effectively work alongside AI in educational settings, ensuring a beneficial partnership?
Potential Concern: Over-reliance on AI for administrative tasks without adequate teacher oversight could lead to a more standardized approach to instruction, potentially overlooking the importance of understanding individual student needs in a nuanced way.
Argument 3: Agentic AI for Enhanced Collaboration and Critical Thinking
Education is not solely about knowledge acquisition; it also involves developing essential skills such as problem-solving and collaboration. Agentic AI can support team-based learning by facilitating discussions, analyzing contributions, and promoting balanced participation.
PitchQuest and Skillful.ly: Developing Collaborative Skills with AI
PitchQuest, a venture capital simulation from Wharton, illustrates this potential. It uses multiple AI agents to create dynamic scenarios where students can practice pitching skills. Through interaction with AI mentors and role-playing investors that adapt to their performance, students can improve their collaborative problem-solving abilities in a simulated environment. In a related area, Skillful.ly’s AI coaching for professionals, while centered on individual skill development, offers simulated scenarios that could be adapted for collaborative role-playing. This AI provides real-time feedback and coaching to enhance team dynamics and decision-making in group situations.
Important Questions to Ponder:
AI Influence on Collaboration: In collaborative learning settings utilizing AI, how might this technology subtly shape human decision-making processes and the natural dynamics of teamwork?
Creativity and Independent Thought: Can AI truly foster creativity in student projects, or is there a risk that it could unintentionally limit independent thinking, perhaps leading to more conventional or algorithmically-influenced outcomes?
Ethical Implications of Tracking: What are the ethical considerations we must address when using AI systems to track and evaluate individual student contributions within group projects, especially concerning student privacy and the potential for bias in assessment?
Potential Concern: Over-dependence on AI in collaborative projects might inadvertently discourage independent thought and genuine creativity, possibly leading to a lack of diverse ideas and a reduced capacity for critical thinking without technological support.
Argument 4: Promoting Educational Equity through Agentic AI
A significant hope for AI in education is its ability to help address learning disparities, especially for students from disadvantaged backgrounds or those with diverse learning needs.
UNESCO & Capgemini’s AI Policy Expert: Working Towards Global Educational Equity
UNESCO, in collaboration with Capgemini, has developed an AI-driven policy expert to analyze extensive data and identify literacy gaps worldwide. This tool aims to provide evidence-based recommendations for improving educational equity on a global scale. The AI Policy Expert suggests a comprehensive approach that includes:
Targeted teacher training: Focusing on professional development for educators in underserved communities.
Culturally relevant curricula: Adapting educational content to better suit diverse cultural contexts.
Digital inclusion initiatives: Expanding access to affordable internet and technology for families with limited resources.
TeachAI and insAIghtED: Supporting Equity in Education
Building on UNESCO & Capgemini’s work, TeachAI’s AI literacy programs directly address digital equity by integrating AI education into STEM programs for students and teachers in Indonesia and South Korea. Complementing this, UNESCO & Capgemini’s insAIghtED, developed through a global hackathon, further assists policymakers by analyzing large datasets to provide practical insights. It recommends specific interventions — such as teacher training and infrastructure development in under-resourced areas — all aimed at promoting more equitable education systems globally.
Key Equity Considerations:
Truly Equitable Impact?: Can AI genuinely contribute to making education more equitable and accessible for all, or is there a risk it could inadvertently reinforce existing digital divides and inequalities?
Government and Institutional Responsibility: What specific actions should governments and educational organizations prioritize to proactively ensure that AI-driven education initiatives benefit all students fairly, regardless of their background or circumstances?
Support for Under-Resourced Schools: How can AI-based educational tools be effectively adapted and implemented to provide meaningful support for students in under-resourced schools and communities where access to technology may be limited or inconsistent?
Potential Concern: Without careful planning and adequate investment, the implementation of AI in education could widen the digital divide, potentially increasing the achievement gap between students from different socioeconomic backgrounds.
The Evolving Landscape of Agentic AI in Education
Agentic AI represents a notable shift in how learning can be personalized, assessed, and delivered, moving beyond incremental improvements.
Emerging Trends in Agentic AI
AI-supported career guidance and skill platforms: Assisting learners in developing skills relevant to future careers.
Advanced autonomous tutoring systems: Proactively identifying learning needs and creating tailored learning paths.
Sana Labs and APPEAL Platform: Examples of Future Directions
Sana Labs is an example of AI-supported skill development platforms, dynamically adjusting corporate training content based on employee engagement and performance, identifying skill gaps and suggesting relevant resources. Additionally, platforms like APPEAL (Adaptive Personalized Platform for Effective and Advanced Learning) demonstrate the potential of advanced autonomous tutoring systems. APPEAL aims to model student cognitive, behavioral, and emotional characteristics to personalize content and activities, showing how AI can create learning environments that adapt to individual preferences and engagement levels in a comprehensive way.
Looking to the Horizon:
Global Standards or Local Policies?: As AI integration in education advances, should there be internationally recognized guidelines or standards for ethical implementation, or is it more appropriate for individual countries to develop their own policies tailored to their specific contexts and values?
Balancing Efficiency and Human Connection: In an increasingly AI-driven educational landscape, how can we ensure that the crucial emotional and social aspects of learning and human connection are maintained, valued, and integrated alongside technological advancements?
Long-Term Societal Implications: What are the potential long-term societal effects of AI-driven learning on the future workforce, and what proactive steps can we take now to prepare students for these evolving demands and opportunities?
Potential Concern: A lack of thoughtful planning and strategic implementation of agentic AI could lead to fragmented and less effective educational systems, potentially failing to adequately prepare students for the future workforce and a rapidly changing world.
Moving Forward with Agentic AI in Education
Agentic AI offers significant potential to transform education, making learning more personalized, accessible, and efficient. However, responsible implementation is crucial to address the associated challenges.
The future of education is likely to involve a collaborative approach, integrating both AI and the expertise of educators to create adaptive, engaging, and truly personalized learning experiences.
About the Author:
Shahida Rehman is a passionate advocate for educational transformation and the driving force behind Skilling Future, an organization dedicated to revolutionizing learning through innovation and technology. As Founder and CEO, she brings over 15 years of leadership experience to her mission of empowering future-ready learners. Her expertise in ethical AI adoption, curriculum innovation, and workforce development positions her as a key figure in guiding educators and leaders towards impactful school improvement and professional growth.
A globally recognized voice in education, Shahida is a sought-after speaker at conferences worldwide. Her insights have resonated with audiences across continents, from the USA and South Asia to Germany and Pakistan, and at prominent events like ‘AI IN ACTION: Tools, Stories, and Innovations Shaping K-20 Education’ (2024). Her expertise extends beyond the stage, deeply embedded within Skilling Future. There, she spearheads initiatives providing personalized guidance, innovative project kits, hands-on training, and AI-powered learning solutions. Furthermore, as head of the Skilling Future Innovation Hub, she fosters AI-driven sustainable solutions, capacity-building programs, and vital cross-sector collaborations.
Shahida’s thought leadership is further amplified through her LinkedIn newsletter, ‘The Innovator’s Lens,’ where she explores the dynamic intersection of innovation, ethical strategies, and the transformative power of AI and design thinking in education. Her commitment to excellence is underscored by her training from prestigious institutions like the International Academy of Leadership Germany, the University of Maryland, and the University of Michigan, alongside certifications from Microsoft, Arizona State University, the British Council, and Code.org.
Driven by a profound passion for reimagining education and empowering future-ready learners, Shahida Rehman champions cross-cultural collaboration and sustainable solutions, dedicated to unlocking human potential worldwide.
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