The 'Godmother of AI' says the biggest risk of AI in schools is taking away kids’ motivation to learn

Fei-Fei Li, renowned as the "Godmother of AI," warns that the most significant risk of AI in schools is not cheating, but diminishing students' motivation and agency to learn. In an interview on the science podcast Huberman Lab, Li says that AI should not be taken away from students nor should it strip them of their human motivation to learn.

Li, the founder of World Labs, suggests that AI should be viewed as a learning companion to help students overcome obstacles in their studies. During her interview, Li reminisces about struggling with organic chemistry during her premed days, when limited TA hours and professors' time constraints made it difficult for her to ask enough questions.

She believes that with an AI tool, she would have asked far more questions, as it would provide the guidance she needed to understand where she was stuck. Li stresses that educators should help students use AI to delve deeper into subjects while preserving their own curiosity and effort. Rather than framing AI solely as a cheating risk, schools should focus on keeping students' motivation and agency intact.

Li adds that when used correctly, AI could potentially make future students far smarter than us, as they would be "superpowered."