The use of emerging and innovative technology in K-12 education is imperative to help the new generation of students. Today, more school districts are beginning to adopt artificial intelligence, and educators are urging their districts to invest more in this technology.

Teachers and administrators are testing the waters with grading and reading programs to see how well AI can merge with teaching techniques. The use of AI saves time and allows educators to dive deeper into personalized learning and apply differentiated instruction.

The last point is of particular importance because of its immense potential to close the knowledge gap. Differentiated leveling programs help determine what instructions individual students need and how big the gaps are.

This has been a time-consuming process with too much room for error, and it encroached upon the valuable teacher-student time. Thanks to automation, teachers no longer have to do it manually.

Some cool AI features include automated grading, individualized line-by-line support and mechanized tutoring. Educators have commented that they see a greater impact on math than written assignments. However, the latter has benefited from technical rubrics like sentence structure, word limit, etc.

For detractors who think robots will replace teachers, there are many positives to consider. First and foremost, teacher shortage is a reality. Tools like AI can help give teachers enough time for student interaction and working on their professional development.

Earlier this year, Ed Tech reported that the use of AI in schools would see exponential growth through 2021. The sector will see close to 47.5 percent growth during this time, leading to teaching and learning efficiency.

Some of the personalized tools with adaptive learning features that are making waves include:

  • IBM's Watson Analytics
  • Microsoft's Azure Machine Learning service
  • Google's G Suite for Education apps
  • A math-tutoring tool called Third Space Learning.

AI teaching assistants can enhance all learning platforms and offer intelligent tutor systems. This could fundamentally change how we learn.

They have already made an enormous difference in massive open online courses (MOOCs) like EdX and Coursera or self-directed platforms like Khan Academy. Intelligent tutor systems or AI-powered tutors can offer scalable, customized, personal instruction.

AI technologies can help students achieve learning objectives. Will schools and colleges commit the funding needed for these programs?