When implementing artificial intelligence tools in schools, educators should take a human-centered approach, remaining mindful of “elements that technology can’t replace but can erode or strengthen depending on how it’s used,” says Maddy Sims, a senior fellow at the Center on Reinventing Public Education.
Introducing AI without a strategy can create an “efficiency paradox” where legacy school models become more affordable and efficient but aren't responsive enough to student needs, according to a whitepaper co-written by Sims.
The paper, published by CRPE earlier this year, resulted from a gathering of 40 educators, researchers, funders, technology experts and parents held by the organization in November.
The forum “was aimed at elevating early lessons learned, identifying enabling conditions and building a shared understanding about how to implement AI in ways that are coherent and oriented toward long-term transformation,” said Sims. “We took stock of current roadblocks and discussed what a coherent approach to AI might look like going forward.”
Among the whitepaper’s recommendations:
- Educators should have a vision for AI before implementing tools.
- Policy, infrastructure, pedagogy and technology should be aligned.
- Human relationships should be at the center of these efforts.
- Policies and investments should be adequate for system-level change, now and in the future.
Participants at the forum expressed a strong belief that education needs to retain its human core, and that the most enduring values of schooling are rooted in relationships and a sense of purpose and belonging, Sims said.
“There was pushback on narrow uses of AI for efficiency alone and instead, a focus on expanding what’s possible: reshaping assessments, feedback and project-based learning in ways that deepen student engagement,” she said
The participants also said this type of design and philosophy doesn’t happen by default — it needs to be explicit and intentional so school systems don’t gravitate toward convenience, cost savings and novelty, according to Sims.
“Those pressures can crowd out the relational and developmental aspects of learning that matter,” she said. “The human-centered approach means designing learning experiences where AI enhances rather than replaces the educator.”
As such, school leaders should start with a clear vision of what they want students to experience, thoughtfully defining outcomes like deeper engagement and more authentic demonstrations of learning and then determining how AI can help achieve those goals, Sims said.
“Funders and state leaders have a critical role to play in shaping conditions,” she said. “Inventing models that go beyond efficiency and support deeper changes to teaching and learning, as well as providing clear guidance and guardrails around responsible use.”
Otherwise, schools are left to navigate individual tools and competing priorities on their own, she added.
Districts and states must also invest in educator capacity, Sims said.
“The human-centered approach depends on teachers being able to leverage AI tools thoughtfully,” she said. “This means providing time and support for educators to experiment, reflect and ultimately refine their practice.”
The whitepaper noted that one of the biggest pitfalls regarding AI implementation is treating it merely as an adoption challenge rather than a strategy for rethinking teaching and learning, Sims said.
“When you start with tools rather than a clear vision, it impacts how effectively teachers are able to leverage changes,” she said. “AI gets layered onto existing practice in ways that reinforce the status quo rather than transforming it.”
Another pitfall she noted: failing to take what the forum group called an “ambidextrous” approach and instead feeling the need to choose between stabilizing current performance and investing in longer-term transformation.
“This is not an either-or proposition,” she said. The [education field needs to do both.”
Last, she said, don’t under-invest in educator capacity. “Even the most promising tools can fall short if educators don’t know how to use them.”
Dive Awards
