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AI in Education: A Force for Good?

Oct 2, 2025

Guest

Justin Reich

Guest

Eric Westendorf

In this discussion, Eric Westendorf, Co-CEO of CourseMojo and ed-tech innovator, and Justin Reich, MIT professor and author, dive into the controversial role of AI in education. They explore AI's current state, addressing fears about cheating and student disengagement. Eric shares how AI can enhance classroom dynamics by providing real-time feedback, while Justin warns about the limitations of tech-alone solutions. Both guests emphasize the need for coherent curricula, balancing optimism and skepticism as they envision AI's future impact on learning.

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insights

INSIGHT

AI Is Early; Curriculum Needs Reimagining

AI is still in the very early stages for classroom impact and often helps administrative tasks first.
Curriculum-focused products are needed to rethink how AI electricity can be channeled into instruction.

insights

INSIGHT

AI Enables Large-Scale Bypass Of Practice

Generative AI is primarily appearing as a cheating tool that lets students skip practice.
Bypassing deliberate practice at scale threatens learning because students miss crucial cognitive reps.

insights

INSIGHT

AI Skipped The Pilot Phase And Strains Schools

AI diffused via phones arrives without the usual district-led adoption processes for edtech.
Schools are exhausted and lack capacity to manage a sudden, universal technology change.

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Current State of AI in Classrooms

03:00 • 2min

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Cheating, Bypassing Cognition, and School Capacity

04:56 • 3min

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Need for Coherent Instructional Materials

08:21 • 3min

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Can AI Be Turned Into 'Lemonade' for Schools?

10:52 • 4min

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AI as Embedded Classroom Support (Course Mojo)

15:20 • 4min

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Evidence from Personalized Tutoring Research

19:00 • 2min

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Is This New or Just More of the Same?

20:35 • 3min

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Early Results and District Pilots

23:14 • 1min

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Personalization vs. Social Learning

24:34 • 4min

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Classroom Dynamics and Motivation Concerns

28:58 • 3min

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AI Surfacing Student Thinking for Teachers

31:39 • 6min

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Expected Effect Sizes and NAEP Ambitions

37:21 • 2min

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Coherence, Tutoring Limits, and Curriculum Fit

39:36 • 3min

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Will AI Replace Deep Reading or Change Literacy?

42:46 • 4min

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Protecting Attention and Designing for Engagement

46:51 • 6min

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Steel Man Exercise: Best-Case Scenario for AI in Schools

53:20 • 4min

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Skeptic's Grade and Call for Evidence

57:07 • 2min

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Key Takeaways and Balanced Skepticism

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Recently, First Lady Melania Trump convened the second White House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence in Education. There is simultaneously an incredible amount of excitement around AI in schools and just beneath it, a sort of terror about its potential impacts and all we do not know. We wanted to take a macro approach and examine the current state of AI in education, its promise, the fears, and what the near future may look like.

The Questions:

Is AI in the classroom a force for good?
Can we still produce critical thinkers in an AI-driven classroom?
Will AI just be another ed tech flash in the pan?

To have this conversation, we brought together two leading eduction experts with nuanced, divergent views on the roles technology, and AI specifically, should play for teachers and students.

Eric Westendorf is a former principal who founded the ed tech company LearnZillion, and now is the co-CEO of Coursemojo, which is using AI to enhance in-class learning by supporting teachers in providing the right support for every student.

Justin Reich is an Associate Professor in Comparative Media Studies and Director at MIT Teaching Systems Lab, and is the author of a new book, Failure to Disrupt: Why Technology Alone Can’t Transform Education.

Two notes on terms. Our guests mention NAEP: the National Assessment of Education Progress. There's also discussion of the Alpha School: a network of US private schools that combines AI-driven adaptive software for core academics with in-person adult “Guides” who act as mentors. It operates in Texas, Florida, Arizona, and California. According to Alpha School, their combination of technology and mastery based learning allows children learn core subjects in just two hours daily.

Questions or comments about this episode? Email us at podcast@thedisagreement.com or find us on X and Instagram @thedisagreementhq. Subscribe to our newsletter: https://thedisagreement.substack.com/

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