Ep 8: Can AI educate a billion people?

Jun 11, 2025

Robby Ratan, an Associate Professor at Michigan State University, explores groundbreaking ideas on education in the age of AI. He challenges the notion of traditional schools, discussing whether AI could render them optional. Ratan shares his innovative projects, like teaching in virtual reality and his Avatar Summer School. Conversations touch on the balance of tech for kids, the future of critical thinking, and the potential of AI to address educational inequalities. With personal stories and thoughtful insights, he highlights what learning could look like in the next decade.

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INSIGHT

AI Scales Literacy Efficiently

AI can scale foundational literacy education efficiently without humans in the loop.
Motivation and engagement remain key challenges beyond content delivery.

INSIGHT

Limits of AI in Critical Thinking

AI will scale basic literacy but struggles to teach critical thinking and emotional understanding.
Appreciating art, bias, and context remain human teaching challenges for AI.

ADVICE

Focus on Functional Literacy First

Teach basic foundational skills like reading and math through programmatic methods.
Aim to make learners functional to find jobs internationally with critical thinking as the next goal.

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There simply aren’t enough teachers to teach the next billion students. So is AI going to make schools optional?

In this episode, we had the most fascinating chat with Robby Ratan, a media psychology professor who's pushing the boundaries of how we learn. He teaches students in virtual reality, runs an experimental program called Avatar Summer School, and has four kids of his own - so he's living and breathing education in every way.

We talked about AI teachers, philosopher warriors, why he doesn't let his kids use too much tech, and whether schools as we know them will even exist in 10 years. Robby's stories are wild, thoughtful, and surprisingly human!

IN THIS EPISODE

(00:00) What if AI made school... optional?

(00:43) What are Robby, Peng and Wei Qing concerned about

(03:05) The radical idea behind no teachers, just tech

(05:30) Can machines teach critical thinking?

(07:35) The bigger question: what do we even teach?

(11:11) Black Mirror meets the classroom: what happened next

(14:01) Preschool dilemmas and the ‘philosopher warrior’ test

(16:21) Can AI be your BFF?

(22:01) What is the value of schools?

(27:48) What does a VR school feel like?

(33:10) Can human teaching be scaled with VR?

(34:19) Side Note: Would you trust history written by 3 million chatbots?

(38:04) Could AI help us trust each other again?

(43:24) Will AI-enabled education increase inequality?

(45:13) Wait, do you actually want your kids using VR?

Robby Ratan

Rabindra (Robby) Ratan is Associate Professor and AT&T Endowed Chair at Michigan State University’s Department of Media and Information. Ratan received his Ph.D. from USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, his M.A. in Communication from Stanford University, and his B.A. in Science, Technology and Society, also from Stanford University.

Dr. Ratan’s research focuses primarily on the psychological experience and effects of media use, with an emphasis on avatars, video games, virtual worlds, and other interactive environments (e.g., the road, online education) that include mediated self-representations (e.g., avatars, automobiles).

https://www.robbyratan.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbyratan

https://www.avatarsummerschool.com/

Wei Qing

Wei Qing is the CEO and cofounder of Vybes, a leading social commerce platform in Southeast Asia, funded by Peak XV (formerly Sequoia) and DSG Consumer.

Prior to Vybes, Wei Qing was an investor with Temasek (a US$300 billion fund), where she was part of the China team responsible for early stage investments in decacorns such as Alibaba and Xiaomi. She was also responsible for government relations, where she worked with senior government leaders to foster innovation. Before living in China, Wei Qing started her career with McKinsey in New York advising Fortune 500 companies.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/weiqingjen/

Our Host

Peng is venture building defensible AI-powered companies that will change how we live. He is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of VC firm Monk’s Hill Ventures, operating out of Southeast Asia. Prior to Monk’s Hill Ventures, he was a Venture Partner at GSR Ventures in China.

As an entrepreneur, Peng co-founded a series of successful companies including Match.com, Interwoven and Encentuate, whose products even today combined generate over USD$1 billion in revenues annually.

https://sg.linkedin.com/in/pengtong

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About the Embracing Singularity Podcast

What happens when technology rewrites the rules of work, wealth, and meaning?

In this series, investor Peng T. Ong and tech founder Wei Qing Jen sit down with technology trailblazers to explore the future we’re hurtling toward—one shaped by AI, zero marginal cost, and radical shifts in how society functions. Get ready for bold ideas, deep insights, and the urgent questions we all need to ask before the future arrives!