The 26 Greatest Promises of AI in Education
As earnestly proclaimed, lavishly funded, and enthusiastically repeated
The claims below have been earnestly proclaimed, lavishly funded, and enthusiastically repeated. Their failure to arrive should not be mistaken for their failure to be true. Indeed, their very persistence is evidence of progress. Should any reader detect irony, it may safely be attributed to outdated habits of thought soon to be remedied by the next system update.
“AI will personalize learning for every student.”
Each child will receive a unique version of the same worksheet.“AI will free teachers from routine tasks.”
By assigning them new ones.“AI meets students where they are.”
And politely leaves them there.“AI will close achievement gaps.”
Once we redefine achievement.“AI provides instant feedback.”
Whether or not the feedback is correct.“AI makes learning more engaging.”
Engagement defined as clicking something.“AI adapts in real time.”
Mostly by lowering expectations.“AI supports equity.”
By treating everyone impersonally.
My new book, The Subversive Art of a Classical Education: Reclaiming the Mind in an Age of Speed, Screens, and Skill-Drills, is now available on Amazon. This book is the culmination of years spent leading a classical school and witnessing firsthand how tried and true perennial practices of learning offer the most powerful resistance to the forces fragmenting our children’s minds and souls, especially in this new era of AI Enthusiasm
“AI enhances critical thinking.”
By doing the thinking first.“AI tutors are available 24/7.”
Unlike teachers, who still require sleep and dignity.“AI helps students learn at their own pace.”
Usually a slower one.“AI prepares students for the future workforce.”
Which remains conveniently undefined.“AI encourages student agency.”
Students may now choose between three autogenerated options.“AI improves assessment.”
Especially when no one wants to grade writing.“AI enhances creativity.”
By producing passable imitations instantly.“AI gives every student a voice.”
Even when the voice sounds suspiciously alike.“AI will transform education.”
Same outcomes. New dashboard.“AI supports lifelong learning.”
Particularly lifelong subscriptions.“AI lets us reimagine what education can be.”
Without ever defining what it should be.“AI ensures instructional fidelity.”
By discouraging deviation, imagination, and thought.“AI accelerates learning outcomes.”
By shortening the distance between ignorance and credential.“AI helps struggling students succeed.”
By lowering the definition of struggle.“AI frees students from fear of failure.”
Failure having been thoughtfully removed.“AI scales best practices.”
Especially the mediocre ones.“AI supports teacher professional growth.”
By suggesting the webinar you already ignored.“AI aligns instruction to standards.”
And replaces judgment with checkboxes.
Michael S. Rose, a leader in the classical education movement, is author of The Subversive Art of a Classical Education (Regnery, 2026).
Goodhart’s Law comes to mind reading this. In a world choked with OKRs and KPIs and ruled by the tyranny of the screen, education enabled, empowered, emboldened, or (more likely) eviscerated by AI will only be poisoned by metrics that are optimized for rot, not reanimation.
I wrote about this in “Training Until Failure, Thinking Until Fatigue” — http://www.whitenoise.email/p/training-until-failure-thinking-until
"#10 AI tutors are available 24/7."
Ensuring that students never have to spend time struggling or persevering and building their confidence by accomplishing a difficult task.