Key Points
- Google says students should use AI to develop critical thinking, creativity and problem solving skills.
- Only 17 per cent of teachers surveyed feel adequately trained to use AI effectively in classrooms.
- Google says an eight week trial in Sierra Leone produced mathematics gains equivalent to 1.8 to 2.5 years of typical academic progress.
Main Story
Google has warned students against using artificial intelligence (AI) as a shortcut to learning, saying the technology should strengthen critical thinking, creativity and problem solving rather than replace the effort required to acquire knowledge.
Google Vice President and General Manager, Education, Chris Phillips, gave the warning during a virtual roundtable on the company’s new AI powered learning tools for students and teachers.
Phillips said AI was reshaping education, but teachers should remain at the centre of the learning process.
He cited a global study conducted by Google with Ipsos which found that learning had become the leading reason people use AI.
According to him, 86 per cent of teachers want to use AI in their classrooms, but only 17 per cent believe they have adequate training to use the technology effectively.
Phillips said Google was addressing the training gap through its free Google Educator Series, which provides short practical courses designed to help teachers build confidence and skills in using AI.
He added that AI tools were already helping educators save up to 10 hours each week on administrative work, allowing them to spend more time engaging with students.
Google is also expanding teacher led AI features in Google Classroom to help educators create assignments, guide students and monitor their progress.
Phillips said AI should assist teachers rather than replace them, arguing that its use in education should strengthen the relationship between teachers and students.
Google Head of Learning Science, Julia Wilcowski, said effective learning required students to actively engage with content, recall information, practise, reflect and apply what they had learnt.
She said Google was therefore designing its education tools around learning science principles, with the aim of helping students discover solutions instead of simply receiving answers.
Wilcowski cited an eight week trial in Sierra Leone in which teachers incorporated Google’s guided learning tool into mathematics lessons. She said students recorded improvements equivalent to between 1.8 and 2.5 years of typical academic progress.
She also said teachers in Italy who used Gemini to generate learning materials recorded improved learning outcomes, with more than 80 per cent of students demonstrating the skills targeted in their lessons.
However, Wilcowski stressed the importance of fact checking and critical thinking because AI systems can produce inaccurate information, commonly referred to as hallucinations.
Google Director of Gemini for Education, Marta McAlister, said the company was introducing new learning features in Gemini and Search to help students organise their studies and learn at their own pace.
She said students would be able to upload syllabuses, lecture notes and study guides into Gemini to create personalised study notebooks, diagnostic quizzes, short lessons and progress tracking.
The tools will also offer interactive quizzes, visualisations, voice based learning and step by step assistance with complex problems.
McAlister said Google Lens would soon allow students to use their phone cameras to analyse difficult diagrams and mathematics problems, identify mistakes and receive step by step guidance.
She added that Google was offering Google AI Plus free for 12 months to eligible students aged 18 and above in more than 140 countries, including countries in Africa.
The offer provides access to advanced AI learning tools, unlimited file uploads and 400GB of storage.
The Issues
The growing use of AI in education raises concerns about students relying on generated answers without developing the skills needed to understand, evaluate and apply information independently.
Google’s figures also point to a training gap among teachers, with a much larger share wanting to use AI than feeling adequately prepared to do so.
The risk of inaccurate AI generated information further makes fact checking and critical evaluation necessary when the technology is used for learning.
What’s Being Said
“The real breakthrough lies in helping people unlock their own potential.” – Chris Phillips, Google Vice President and General Manager, Education
“Meaningful learning requires effort.” – Julia Wilcowski, Google Head of Learning Science
What’s Next
Google is expanding AI learning features in Google Classroom, Gemini, Search and Google Lens.
The company is also continuing its Google Educator Series to provide teachers with practical AI training.
Bottom Line
Google wants AI to function as a learning aid rather than a substitute for learning itself. The company says students and teachers must continue to exercise judgement and verify information generated by AI.
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