AI and the future of human learning

19 snips

Dec 3, 2025

Judith Ellen Fan, a cognitive scientist at Stanford's Cognitive Tools Lab, and Christopher Piech, a computer science professor, explore the intersection of AI and education. They discuss how AI can inspire student creativity and entrepreneurship while addressing concerns about its impact on academic integrity and motivation. Judith highlights the limitations of AI in understanding visual thinking, while Christopher emphasizes the importance of human mentorship in the learning process. Together, they urge for value-driven decisions to shape a more equitable future in education.

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ANECDOTE

Surge Of Student Interest In CS

Christopher Piech described 71,000 people applying to his free online CS course after GenAI news.
He shared student projects like an adaptive orchestra slowdown tool that emerged from that enthusiasm.

INSIGHT

Multimodal Thinking Matters

Judith Ellen Fan emphasized human thinking uses multimodal displays like diagrams and drawings.
She argued frontier AI struggles with these visuals and so cannot fully support real-world learning yet.

ADVICE

Probe Models To Improve Trust

Judith Ellen Fan said researchers probe AI's internal circuits to find failures and improve reliability.
She advised designing systems to be interpretable and trustworthy for classroom use.

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What will it mean to teach and learn in an AI-powered world? Can we use artificial intelligence to enhance, but not replace, the best of what humans do?

Recorded live in Los Angeles at Stanford’s Open Minds event, this episode of School’s In dives into how AI is reshaping education – its promises, pitfalls, and surprises. Dan and Denise welcome Stanford faculty members Judith Ellen Fan, a cognitive scientist, and Christopher Piech, a computer scientist, to the stage for a lively discussion that ranges from motivation and creativity to assessment and cheating. Together, they explore the deeply human elements of human learning and AI design, and the ways that Stanford is shaping the conversation about how humans and machines learn together. They cover several topics, including:

(01:57) Students and AI: Inspiration and creativity
(04:55) Beyond words: Why AI still struggles with human thinking
(09:53) AI's impact on cheating and academic integrity
(18:09) Keeping learning human: Mentors, motivation, and meaningful tasks
(23:59) Designing AI for the future of learning

Christopher Piech is an associate professor of computer science at Stanford University. He develops AI systems that support personalized education, working at the intersection of deep learning and classroom practice to help students learn more effectively and equitably. Learn more about his work on his faculty profile.

Judith Ellen Fan is an assistant professor of psychology and the director of the Cognitive Tools Lab (https://cogtoolslab.github.io/) at Stanford University. Her research focuses on how visual communication supports learning. She bridges cognitive science, computational neuroscience, and artificial intelligence, exploring how tools like drawing can reveal and enhance human understanding. Learn more about her work on her faculty profile.

School’s In is your go-to podcast for cutting-edge insights and fresh perspectives on the future of learning. Hosted by Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE) Dean Dan Schwartz and Senior Lecturer Denise Pope, each episode dives into the latest research, innovations, and real-world challenges shaping education today.

Stanford GSE is at the forefront of education research and teacher preparation, dedicated to advancing equitable, accessible, and impactful learning experiences for all.

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