AI teachers (AI-based robots as teachers): history, potential, concerns and recommendations

Although Artificial intelligence (AI) has been used in education for a long time, its popularity and spread have witnessed exponential growth since the launch of ChatGPT. It can be used as a tool, teaching assistant, or teacher. AI teacher (AI-based robot as a teacher) is not a new concept with the...

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Main Authors: Muhammad Abid Malik, Rehmat Shah
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-02-01
Series:Frontiers in Education
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2025.1541543/full
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author Muhammad Abid Malik
Rehmat Shah
author_facet Muhammad Abid Malik
Rehmat Shah
author_sort Muhammad Abid Malik
collection DOAJ
description Although Artificial intelligence (AI) has been used in education for a long time, its popularity and spread have witnessed exponential growth since the launch of ChatGPT. It can be used as a tool, teaching assistant, or teacher. AI teacher (AI-based robot as a teacher) is not a new concept with the first teaching robots used in the 1970s; however, most of the research and usage of AI in education is focused on AI as a tool or a teaching assistant. This article looks at AI teachers’ history, some key cases, potential and benefits, and concerns and challenges associated with their use in classrooms. Overcoming teachers’ shortage, flexibility, transparency, unbiasedness, and improving students’ motivation were some of their key benefits; while being untested and unreliable, cost, need for specific infrastructure and technical expertise, resistance to change, ethical issues, and fears of dehumanizing and desensitizing students were the main concerns and challenges. We suggest co-teaching with AI teachers using four different approaches. Through them, AI teachers and human teachers can work together in classrooms to maximize the effectiveness of the teaching-learning process.
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spelling doaj-art-ffd0a8bcd56a4b209cb0ed2bbd6d4a8f2025-08-20T03:01:14ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Education2504-284X2025-02-011010.3389/feduc.2025.15415431541543AI teachers (AI-based robots as teachers): history, potential, concerns and recommendationsMuhammad Abid Malik0Rehmat Shah1Shandong Vocational University of Foreign Affairs, Weihai, ChinaUniversity of Education, Jauharabad Campus, Lahore, PakistanAlthough Artificial intelligence (AI) has been used in education for a long time, its popularity and spread have witnessed exponential growth since the launch of ChatGPT. It can be used as a tool, teaching assistant, or teacher. AI teacher (AI-based robot as a teacher) is not a new concept with the first teaching robots used in the 1970s; however, most of the research and usage of AI in education is focused on AI as a tool or a teaching assistant. This article looks at AI teachers’ history, some key cases, potential and benefits, and concerns and challenges associated with their use in classrooms. Overcoming teachers’ shortage, flexibility, transparency, unbiasedness, and improving students’ motivation were some of their key benefits; while being untested and unreliable, cost, need for specific infrastructure and technical expertise, resistance to change, ethical issues, and fears of dehumanizing and desensitizing students were the main concerns and challenges. We suggest co-teaching with AI teachers using four different approaches. Through them, AI teachers and human teachers can work together in classrooms to maximize the effectiveness of the teaching-learning process.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2025.1541543/fullartificial intelligenceChatGPTAI teacherteaching robotclassroom teachingco-teaching
spellingShingle Muhammad Abid Malik
Rehmat Shah
AI teachers (AI-based robots as teachers): history, potential, concerns and recommendations
Frontiers in Education
artificial intelligence
ChatGPT
AI teacher
teaching robot
classroom teaching
co-teaching
title AI teachers (AI-based robots as teachers): history, potential, concerns and recommendations
title_full AI teachers (AI-based robots as teachers): history, potential, concerns and recommendations
title_fullStr AI teachers (AI-based robots as teachers): history, potential, concerns and recommendations
title_full_unstemmed AI teachers (AI-based robots as teachers): history, potential, concerns and recommendations
title_short AI teachers (AI-based robots as teachers): history, potential, concerns and recommendations
title_sort ai teachers ai based robots as teachers history potential concerns and recommendations
topic artificial intelligence
ChatGPT
AI teacher
teaching robot
classroom teaching
co-teaching
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2025.1541543/full
work_keys_str_mv AT muhammadabidmalik aiteachersaibasedrobotsasteachershistorypotentialconcernsandrecommendations
AT rehmatshah aiteachersaibasedrobotsasteachershistorypotentialconcernsandrecommendations