AI in Education: Enhancing or Replacing Teachers?

Published Date : 4/9/2025 

As artificial intelligence (AI) gains traction in the education sector, concerns arise about its potential to replace teachers. However, many experts and educators believe AI can be a valuable tool to enhance the learning experience and support teachers. 

Many parents, school districts, and the federal government have embraced artificial intelligence (AI) this back-to-school season, but some experts warn that AI could widen the teacher shortage by eliminating jobs. In a Pew Research Center study released last spring, 31% of AI experts predicted that AI could lead to fewer jobs for teachers. Nearly a third of the experts surveyed predicted that AI will place teaching jobs at risk over the next 20 years, according to the Pew Research study.

The warning comes after the Learning Policy Institute, an organization that conducts independent research to improve education and policy practices, issued an overview of teacher shortages in July. The institute estimated that about one in eight teaching positions in 2025 are either unfilled or filled by teachers not fully certified for their assignments.

Indiana's 2024 Teacher of the Year, Eric Jenkins, suggested that AI could end up replacing some parts of teaching, but as a tool, not a replacement. Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction, Debbie Critchfield, emphasized that using AI to address the long-standing staffing shortage shouldn't be considered. 'In no universe do I think that AI is going to replace a teacher,' Critchfield told ABC News.

'The teacher is the most important part and component of the classroom, but [AI] is a very useful tool in helping them provide the best educational environment that they can in the classroom,' she said. The White House encourages K-12 students to use AI. While the Trump administration hasn't directly addressed whether AI could replace teachers, the administration has launched its own action plan on the technology, which states that 'AI will improve the lives of Americans by complementing their work -- not replacing it.'

Last week, First Lady Melania Trump launched an AI contest challenging students to develop projects that use AI to address community challenges. Education Secretary Linda McMahon endorsed the challenge. 'AI has the potential to revolutionize education, drive meaningful learning outcomes, and prepare students for tomorrow's challenges,' McMahon wrote in a post on X.

Teachers say they offer what AI can't: connection. Nearly three years after the launch of ChatGPT, most of the United States has developed guidance on AI use in schools. Many districts tell ABC News that they are embracing the technology so long as it is used appropriately, adhering to local education agency guidance, and maintaining academic integrity. Critchfield even downplayed concerns that AI use in schools encourages cheating. 'Teachers can tell if you were writing like a seventh grader on Wednesday and then, all of a sudden, your paper you turn in on a Friday sounds like your post-doctorate in philosophy. They know how to tell those differences,' she said.

But in the wake of the pandemic, Thomas Toch, the director of FutureEd, an education policy center at Georgetown University, argued that students need connection more than ever. The loss of that connection during the pandemic, when kids were learning virtually, created widespread mental-health challenges. 'The notion that, you know, a machine will be the only entity that interacts with kids is problematic in that regard,' Toch told ABC News.

Education experts, such as Toch, contend that K-12 education has perpetual teacher shortages, particularly in areas like science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and special education. The shortages have plagued the workforce for many years, with many educators citing strict time demands, persistent behavioral issues, and lack of administrative support as obstacles.

Toch and Jenkins both appreciate AI for the powerful tool it can be in assisting teachers. It helps teachers plan lessons, grade students' essays, and serves as a 'time saver' that helps them do their jobs better. Jenkins said AI is inevitable and that teachers need to lean in and embrace its capabilities. 'I don't think we can put our head in the sand about it. I don't think that it's necessarily going to replace teachers because teachers can offer something that AI can't, which is a connection, like authentic connection and community,' Jenkins told ABC News.

Jenkins argued that chatbots lack the human element of what teachers do, ensuring that students feel seen and heard. 'With AI's presence in education, it's going to make those moments even more important,' he added. In Idaho, Critchfield said she has been excited about students and educators using the technology but suggested the challenge is making AI be seen as a tool and not a negative. Using AI wisely can aid in the shortage by increasing teacher retention and reducing educators' workloads.

'How are we preparing and training our teachers to use [AI] so that we don't add new problems as we're trying to solve some other problems?' Critchfield said. Ultimately, Critchfield doesn't see AI as a boogeyman that is going to eliminate jobs, but she stressed that teachers who know AI could replace those who are less familiar with the technology.

After teachers in his district suggested banning ChatGPT just a few years ago, School District of Philadelphia Superintendent Tony Watlington told ABC News that instead of removing AI, Philadelphia is now learning from it together. The school district is implementing AI 101 Training for its teachers, school leaders, and superintendent through a partnership with the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education. 'We're not hiding from AI. We're also thinking about its implications and we're really paying attention to what the prospective unintended consequences could be as well,' Watlington said. 'I think that's the responsible way to think about artificial intelligence.' 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS): 

Q: What is the main concern about AI in education?

A: The main concern is that AI could lead to a reduction in teaching jobs, potentially widening the teacher shortage.

Q: How do educators view the role of AI in the classroom?

A: Many educators see AI as a valuable tool to enhance teaching and learning, rather than a replacement for teachers.

Q: What is the significance of the Pew Research Center study?

A: The study highlights that a significant portion of AI experts believe AI could lead to fewer jobs for teachers in the next 20 years.

Q: What is the Learning Policy Institute's stance on teacher shortages?

A: The Learning Policy Institute estimates that about one in eight teaching positions in 2025 are either unfilled or filled by teachers not fully certified for their assignments.

Q: How is the White House encouraging the use of AI in K-12 education?

A: The White House is encouraging K-12 students to use AI and has launched an action plan to ensure AI complements, rather than replaces, human work. 

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