AI Tutors and Teaching: How Might the Role of the Teacher Change in an Age of AI?

This blog discusses the conversation from a Community of Interest event on Artificial Intelligence in Education, a collaboration by the World Bank and EdTech Hub.

AI is reshaping education — from teaching to learning to administration and beyond. What readiness looks like rapidly changes day-to-day, context dependent. To help close opportunity gaps in the age of AI, the World Bank and EdTech Hub’s AI Observatory are collaborating on a 2025 Global AI in Education Community of Interest (COI) series of events to share knowledge, expertise and tackle questions from across the sector. 

One of the major questions we’re hearing time and again is: what about teachers? The role of teachers, potential threats to the profession, limits of implementation are all major topics of debate when it comes to navigating the changing education ecosystem in the age of AI. So how are experts in the field getting beyond the hype and into productive outcomes? We’re sharing what we heard during this special session on May 14, 2025, and what questions remain from our special COI convening on the crucial role of teachers in the age of AI.

Featured Speakers 🔉

• Mike Trucano, Senior Advisor, EdTech Hub AI Observatory and Action Lab and Non-Resident Fellow, Brookings Institution
• Verna Lalbeharie, Executive Director, EdTech Hub
• Vicki Zubovic, Chief External Relations Officer, Khan Academy
• Hannah Horne-Robinson, Research and Assessment Manager, Rising Academies 
• Michael Leventhal, Principal Investigator RobotsMali AI4D Lab, RobotsMali
• Maxwell V. Kayesi, HSC,  Head of Technology and Physics Teacher and Co-founder and Director programs, Centre for ICT/Innovation in Education and Resource Network CiERN
• Nick Schiner, Director of Peer-to-Peer Professional Learning, Digital Promise
• Alice Carter, Innovation Lead, EdTech Hub AI Observatory and Action Lab 

Key takeaways 📝

Here are three key takeaways from the discussion about the role of teachers in the age of AI, particularly in the context of low- and middle-income countries:

1. Teachers must be central to AI design and deployment of tools intended for the classroom

Across multiple speakers, a consistent message emerged: AI tools must be designed with teachers, not just for them. Teachers are crucial facilitators of learning, and any attempt to introduce AI into classrooms without teacher input is likely to fail. Maxwell, a teacher in Kenya, emphasised that “any technology intervention that leaves out the teacher… is not going to kickstart.” While Hannah (Rising Academies) and Vicki (Khan Academy) highlighted how in their work close collaboration with educators to ensure relevance and adoption was imperative to developing their AI tools and practice.

2. AI should enhance, not replace, the role of teachers

Panellists rejected the notion of AI replacing teachers. Instead, tools like Khan Academy’s “Khanmigo,” Rising Academies’ “RORI” and “TARI,” and RobotsMali’s Bambara-based content aim to support teachers by reducing administrative workload, personalising learning for students, and helping with lesson planning or subject-specific tutoring. Teachers shift from being information providers to facilitators guides—helping students navigate and critically engage with learning, appropriately use AI tools, and providing the emotional and human-connection that often helps students thrive.

3. Equity, language, and cultural contexts are critical challenges

Many participants raised concerns about AI tools reinforcing digital divides, particularly in regions lacking infrastructure or where local languages and cultures are underrepresented in AI training data. Michael (RobotsMali, AI4D Lab) warned that “AI could be an extinction event for African languages and cultures” due to the dominance of English in AI training datasets. The discussion underscored the need for localized AI solutions—tools that operate in low-tech environments (e.g., WhatsApp-based bots), support local languages, and reflect local educational contexts.

Closing this critical dialogue Mike Trucano posed an important challenge to the group: What question aren’t we asking that we should be? 

In a session about the role of teachers, we’ll close on what Maxwell, a former ICT Teacher of the Year in Kenya, observed, “How do we prepare students to question AI? Are we preparing the teachers to effectively guide the learners on how to use AI effectively?” Furthermore, he queried whether service providers and developers are “bringing everybody on board? Are they bringing in the voices of the teachers? Are they bringing in the voices of the policy makers…What happens to the digital divide when the chatbot becomes common?” He concluded, “Those are the key areas that we need to address as we go forward in forging policies and developing this frontier.” 

These questions—and the ones shared by the community—must continue to drive conversations forward and serve as a strong call to action for the sector.

Questions 🙋🏾‍♀️

The following questions were posed from community members. We’re sharing to help stimulate further discussions and knowledge exchanges.

Shared opportunities for further engagement 💡

Digital Promise – AI Education Exchange

EdTech Hub’s AI Observatory and Action Lab – Teachers in the Loop Survey

Resources 📚 

🔎 The following resources were shared by community members and participants. These have not been reviewed by the World Bank or EdTech Hub, but are useful indicators of what conversations, evidence, and methods are being explored in the sector. 

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This is part of an on-going series hosted by the World Bank and EdTech Hub’s AI Observatory and Action Lab. The AI Observatory is made possible by support from UKAid. Please follow along and join the conversation on LinkedIn!