AI and the future of work in schools.

With any new technology, uptake tends to follow an “adoption curve” whereby a relatively small number of early adopters embrace the change followed by a larger segment of curious-but-cautious adopters, then the majority, with resistors and laggards trailing behind. Given this form of AI is so new in schools, we are still at the front end of this adoption curve.

In our 2023 State of the Sector report, we asked schools about AI and whether they were more supportive or resistant, this illustrated how complex the issue is in schools at this early stage.

In response to ‘How has the rising prominence of Artificial Intelligence (e.g. ChatGPT and similar tools) led you to think differently about work in schools?’, the chart below shows responses tended to fall into one of four broad categories, though there was considerable nuance and variation within each category.

Chart: AI and the future of work in schools (PeopleBench 2023)

What’s Next?

The PeopleBench team are keeping pulse on the adoption of AI in schools and the journey ahead—in particular, on the intersection of AI and school workforce implications and opportunities.