ChatGPT Turns Three: Five Lessons on AI in Education  

Three years have passed since ChatGPT’s headline-making entry into the world of education, promising to revolutionise how we learn and teach. The arrival of generative AI toolkits was greeted with a wave of optimism: advocates imagined round-the-clock AI tutors, lesson planners able to personalise materials for every learner, and digital assistants with boundless patience. Yet as the dust settles, the real picture is far more complex – and far more interesting. 

Lesson One: AI Is a Double-Edged Sword 

For every promise of efficiency, there has also been a warning. Teachers describe generative AI as both a time-saver and an ideas generator, with the power to help adapt materials for mixed-ability classes, review student work, provide formative feedback, and create quizzes or summaries in minutes instead of hours. However, the risks are equally pronounced: overreliance on AI can lead to superficial learning, “cognitive shortcuts,” and reliance on instant but shallow answers. As education reformer John Dewey once said: ‘You cannot teach the students of today the way you did yesterday to prepare them for tomorrow.” So, educators need to adapt and evolve their practices, but in a way that taps into the affordances of technology and minimises the risks. 

Lesson Two: Pedagogy, Not Technology, Comes First 

The most successful educators have learned to put generative AI “in its place.” Over years of experimentation, they are adapting their practices, emphasising core pedagogic principles, and making conscious decisions about when, why, and how to integrate AI tools. For many, the essential question has shifted from “can AI be used?” to “why should it be used here?” As one teacher we interviewed recently in Türkiye put it: “If there is no curriculum alignment or learning outcomes alignment, then it will be for just entertainment and nothing.” 

Lesson Three: The Human Touch Still Matters Most 

Despite the impressive capabilities of generative AI, the consensus among teachers is clear: AI cannot replace the empathic, responsive presence of a teacher. “No matter the technology,” one teacher from Cameroon recently shared, “if I am unable to make informed decisions about how to integrate it in my teaching, it is useless.” Human teachers will be needed more than ever – to interpret, adapt, guide, and inspire. Ultimately, AI can write a lesson, but AI cannot teach a lesson. 

Lesson Four: Critical Thinking and Ethics Are Non-Negotiable 

The strongest outcomes from AI adoption arise when students and teachers develop the skills to interrogate, critique, and supplement AI-generated content. Through the work we do at Cambridge with teachers, mindless use of AI is identified as the number one concern among educators worldwide. To counter this, learning communities are focusing on developing digital literacy, ethical awareness, and a critical mindset – arming students not just to use AI, but to use it well, question its outputs, and understand its limitations, including its potential for bias and limited transparency in decision-making. 

Lesson Five: New and old methods must coexist  

Looking to the future, traditional “non-AI” topics will coexist with new forms that embed AI use, reflecting real-world problem-solving. At the same time, foundational skills like literacy, oracy and reasoning must be preserved.  

A great example is how the calculator transformed mathematics education. The widespread availability of this ‘tech device’ in the 1980s lead to the emergence of new skills and criteria for success, while at the same time certain foundational ‘old’ skills remained important. Children in primary school still learn the multiplication times tables, even though that can be easily done with a calculator. These foundational areas of knowledge remain just as important in the face of technology. 

The teachers who are integrating AI in their practices are meeting these challenges by combining what is tried and tested with what is new. They are developing what Professor Rose Luckin calls “AI Ready” mindsets – aware that the true value of generative AI arises in partnership with human expertise, not in competition with it. 

The Future Is Human-Centred 

The story of generative AI in education is still unfolding, but its most important lesson may be this: in the rush to embrace innovation, we cannot allow excitement to outpace evidence or technology to eclipse pedagogy. The role of the teacher, as designer of learning experiences and mentor of critical, creative thinkers, remains essential. AI will continue to play a pivotal role in the future of education – but only if we ensure that technology remains a tool in the service of human learning, not its replacement. 

Dr Evelina Galaczi, Director of Research – English, at Cambridge University Press & Assessment.