Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic concept—it’s already transforming classrooms across the country, according to EdSurge. While educators overwhelmingly believe AI will become an integral part of education in the next decade, questions remain about how it should be taught and integrated into curricula.
One striking example of AI’s growing influence in education comes from Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow competition, a tech challenge for middle and high school students. This year, 42% of the top 50 teams incorporated AI into their projects—a massive jump from just 6% in 2024.
Angie Adams, Senior Manager of Corporate Citizenship at Samsung, notes that today’s students will almost certainly use AI in their future careers. “I rarely say 100 percent to anything, but I think the answer is 100 percent,” Adams says. “We really believe that [AI education] starts in the classroom, so we want to make sure we're doing our part to ensure students have the skills to understand, use, and create with this emerging technology.”
One striking example of AI’s growing influence in education comes from Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow competition, a tech challenge for middle and high school students. This year, 42% of the top 50 teams incorporated AI into their projects—a massive jump from just 6% in 2024.
Angie Adams, Senior Manager of Corporate Citizenship at Samsung, notes that today’s students will almost certainly use AI in their future careers. “I rarely say 100 percent to anything, but I think the answer is 100 percent,” Adams says. “We really believe that [AI education] starts in the classroom, so we want to make sure we're doing our part to ensure students have the skills to understand, use, and create with this emerging technology.”
Teachers See AI’s Potential—But Lack Resources
A Samsung-sponsored survey of over 1,000 public school teachers (conducted via DonorsChoose) found that 96% believe AI will become essential in education within the next decade. However, nearly the same percentage say they currently lack the resources to integrate AI effectively.
Despite this, educators are optimistic:
Common AI applications in classrooms include:
✔ Personalized learning
✔ Interactive learning tools
✔ Data analytics for tracking student performance
Yet concerns remain, such as:
❌ Plagiarism risks
❌ Lack of teacher training
❌ Spread of misinformation
❌ Reduced student interaction
Interestingly, only 5% of teachers fear AI could replace their jobs.
Despite this, educators are optimistic:
- Over 50% already use AI in some capacity.
- 33% are exploring how to incorporate it.
Common AI applications in classrooms include:
✔ Personalized learning
✔ Interactive learning tools
✔ Data analytics for tracking student performance
Yet concerns remain, such as:
❌ Plagiarism risks
❌ Lack of teacher training
❌ Spread of misinformation
❌ Reduced student interaction
Interestingly, only 5% of teachers fear AI could replace their jobs.
How Schools Are Adapting to AI
Many districts are now formalizing AI education. Zarek Drozda, Director of Data Science for Everyone, notes that 29 states have launched data science initiatives—up from just one four years ago. Since AI relies on data science fundamentals, this growth signals a shift toward AI literacy. “The curriculum market for data science, data literacy, and AI literacy is growing quite quickly,”Drozda says. “We are seeing a lot of interest from school leaders.”
He suggests schools don’t need to overhaul their programs overnight. Instead, they can start small:
“No school leader should think they have to do everything all at once,” Drozda advises. “It is completely OK to take small, entry-level steps.”
AI isn’t just for teaching—it’s also streamlining school administration. Pete Just, Generative AI Project Director for the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), explains how AI can improve efficiency in areas like:
However, schools must navigate student data privacy laws, which clash with Silicon Valley’s “move fast and break things” ethos.
He suggests schools don’t need to overhaul their programs overnight. Instead, they can start small:
- Teaching spreadsheet skills
- Introducing coding (like Python)
- Guiding students on how to use AI chatbots critically
“No school leader should think they have to do everything all at once,” Drozda advises. “It is completely OK to take small, entry-level steps.”
AI isn’t just for teaching—it’s also streamlining school administration. Pete Just, Generative AI Project Director for the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), explains how AI can improve efficiency in areas like:
- Attendance tracking
- Parent communication
- Bus scheduling
However, schools must navigate student data privacy laws, which clash with Silicon Valley’s “move fast and break things” ethos.
The Big Challenge: Teaching Critical Thinking with AI
Just argues that AI education should focus on critical thinking—teaching students to evaluate AI-generated answers rather than accepting them at face value. “You look at the results and say, ‘That doesn't even match up with reality,’” he explains. “Because sometimes [AI] hallucinates, being able to say that makes sense—or makes no sense—becomes important.”
Rather than creating standalone AI courses, Just believes schools should integrate AI across all subjects, preparing students to apply it in various fields. “Fundamentally changing the way you teach is really hard,” he admits. “But in three to five years, every business will expect students to have these skills.”
As AI becomes ubiquitous, schools must balance innovation with caution, ensuring students learn to use AI responsibly while maintaining critical thinking skills. The debate isn’t about whether AI belongs in education—it’s about how to implement it effectively.
Rather than creating standalone AI courses, Just believes schools should integrate AI across all subjects, preparing students to apply it in various fields. “Fundamentally changing the way you teach is really hard,” he admits. “But in three to five years, every business will expect students to have these skills.”
As AI becomes ubiquitous, schools must balance innovation with caution, ensuring students learn to use AI responsibly while maintaining critical thinking skills. The debate isn’t about whether AI belongs in education—it’s about how to implement it effectively.