Haozhen “Simon” Yang is a co-founder of Prepp, Inc, an operating system for K‑12 teaching and learning.
In an educational context, artificial intelligence-generated content (AIGC) includes AI systems like ChatGPT that can draft essays or explain concepts, as well as image generators like DALL·E or Midjourney that create visuals and even AI-driven video or audio tools. These technologies, powered by large language models and advanced generative algorithms, have demonstrated, as one study put it: “remarkable capabilities in content creation, problem-solving, and simulation that were previously unattainable with conventional educational technologies.” For teachers and students, this means AI can now assist with tasks ranging from composing a lesson plan or quiz to translating a lecture or tutoring a student in real time. As AIGC becomes more accessible, the key question is not if it will influence education, but how it will do so in the near future.
Changing Teacher Workloads And Roles
One area poised for rapid change is instructional design. For example, AI assistants are now able to generate complete lesson outlines, slides and even quizzes based on a few prompts from a teacher. A senior manager at Coursera noted that using generative AI to assemble course materials “went from a process that could take months to a few minutes.” In the next three years, expect to see widespread adoption of AI-driven lesson planning tools that save teachers time and enhance the quality of instructional resources. The net effect could be that educators spend less time on rote content creation and more on refining pedagogy and engaging directly with students. The caveat is that teachers will need training to vet and tweak AI-produced content for accuracy and alignment with standards. When used well, though, it can amplify teachers’ creative capacity and enable more student-centered, adaptive instruction.
On the administrative side, AI can automate many repetitive tasks. Lesson planning, generating practice problems, writing rubrics, even answering common student questions can all be partially offloaded to AI assistants. This automation promises to reduce burnout by freeing teachers from always having to “reinvent the wheel” for class materials. Educators can use generative AI to produce first drafts of slides or worksheets and then refine them, rather than starting from scratch. Similarly, AI chatbots can handle routine student queries, allowing teachers to focus on more complex student needs. All of this suggests that in the next few years, teachers’ roles will gradually shift from content deliverers to content curators and facilitators, supported by AI. In fact, many faculty are cautiously optimistic: In one survey, 66% of teachers saw generative AI’s potential to boost student engagement, and many believe it will help personalize the learning experience and ultimately save time.
To prepare for this shift, educators will need to learn how to effectively prompt AI tools, interpret their outputs and double-check for errors or bias. One study noted that AI adoption may “paradoxically increase teacher responsibilities” in the short term because teachers need to verify AI-generated content and guide students in its ethical use. Professional development appears to already be pivoting toward AI literacy for teachers so they feel confident integrating these tools. We can expect schools to invest in training programs on using AI in pedagogy, much as they did for online learning technologies. In essence, AIGC will likely change the teacher’s job description: Routine tasks will diminish, while coaching, oversight and innovation grow.
Boosting Student Engagement And Personalized Learning
One of the most exciting prospects of AIGC in education is its ability to personalize learning and increase student engagement. AI can adapt educational content in real time to fit each learner’s needs, something teachers with 30 students per class may struggle to do. For example, adaptive learning platforms can use AI to adjust the difficulty and focus of lessons based on a student’s performance, targeting their specific strengths and weaknesses. An AI tutor can provide instant hints or reteach a concept in a new way if a student is stuck, enabling a more self-paced, responsive learning experience. Early results are promising: Studies have found that AI tutoring systems can boost student engagement, confidence and achievement by simulating one-on-one instruction. Students get gentle guidance and feedback in the moment, which keeps them more invested in their work. Meanwhile, teachers receive analytics on where each student is struggling, so they can intervene more effectively.
In practical terms, AIGC is making learning more interactive and tailored than ever:
• On-demand support: AI chatbots can answer students’ questions anytime (even at 10 p.m. the night before a test), providing real-time help during homework or online courses. This 24/7 support keeps learners from getting stuck and disengaging.
• Adaptive practice: Intelligent systems adjust quizzes and practice problems to a student’s level, pacing the difficulty to maintain a challenge without causing frustration. By continuously calibrating to the learner, AI can help each student stay in their “zone” of optimal learning.
• Immersive learning experiences: Generative AI can create simulations, stories or games that turn passive study into active exploration. For instance, an AI might role-play historical characters for a debate exercise or generate a virtual lab experiment for science class, making lessons more engaging and memorable.
A Thoughtful Path Forward
The next few years will be a transformative time for education as AIGC matures from novelty to normalcy in classrooms. We should expect significant innovation in how teachers teach and students learn, enabled by AI’s ability to generate content and personalize experiences. Lesson design, assessment methods, teacher workflows, student engagement strategies—all will likely evolve. Crucially, the changes will not be uniformly positive or negative; they will be what we make of them. The next phase is about intentional integration: using AIGC to enhance pedagogy and address long-standing challenges while actively managing risks around integrity, equity and quality. Schools that succeed will be those that treat AI as a partner rather than a panacea, leveraging its strengths and mitigating its weaknesses. Because education has always been, at its heart, a human endeavor.
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