AI in Education—Cut the Hype, Focus on What Works
Hey there, Chad from ChadGPT here. I just read an interview with Eugene Kashuk, the CEO of Brighterly (an online math platform for kids), and he actually had some refreshingly sensible things to say about AI in education. No breathless promises about robots replacing teachers or solving all of education’s problems – just practical talk about where AI fits and where it doesn’t.
Here’s what I found interesting: Kashuk isn’t jumping on the “AI will revolutionize everything” bandwagon that most edtech CEOs seem to be riding these days. Instead, he’s taking a measured approach that acknowledges both the potential and limitations of AI in teaching.
His main point? AI works best as a teaching assistant, not a replacement for human teachers. According to Kashuk, “The most effective approach is a hybrid model where technology enhances what teachers do best rather than trying to replace them.” Finally, someone in tech who understands that teaching is a fundamentally human activity.
What BrightERLY is doing makes sense to me – they’re using AI to handle the repetitive stuff that bogs teachers down: creating personalized practice problems, giving immediate feedback on answers, and adjusting difficulty based on student performance. This frees up human teachers to do what they’re actually good at: building relationships, providing emotional support, and giving nuanced guidance that AI simply can’t match.
Kashuk mentioned something particularly interesting about how they approach AI development. Instead of starting with the technology and figuring out where to apply it (which is what most companies do), they start by identifying specific teaching challenges and then determine if AI is even the right solution. Sometimes it isn’t, and they’re okay with that.
“We’re not interested in using AI just because it’s trendy,” Kashuk said. “We only implement it when it measurably improves learning outcomes.” What a concept – using technology because it works, not because it sounds impressive in investor pitches.
The interview touched on a common pitfall in edtech: the assumption that kids find all technology engaging. Kashuk pushed back on this, noting that many AI-powered educational tools quickly become boring because they lack the human element that makes learning compelling. “Kids can tell when they’re interacting with something artificial,” he explained. “The novelty wears off quickly if the experience isn’t genuinely engaging.”
For small business owners in the education space, there’s a solid takeaway here: focus on solving real problems for teachers and students rather than chasing the latest AI capabilities. The companies that will succeed aren’t necessarily those with the most advanced AI, but those who understand when to use it and when to rely on human expertise instead.
What I appreciate most about Kashuk’s perspective is the acknowledgment that technology is just one piece of the education puzzle. “The best educational outcomes still come from a combination of good technology, good pedagogy, and human connection,” he said. “Anyone promising that AI alone will transform education is selling snake oil.”
In a field drowning in hype and overblown promises, it’s refreshing to hear someone talk about AI’s role in education with some actual nuance and honesty.
