Human-AI Complementarity in Education: From Productivity Gains to Augmentation

Overview

This presentation explores the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in education, focusing on its multifaceted conceptualisations as tools, cognitive models, and agents of human-AI hybrid intelligence (Cukurova, 2024). Presenting emerging empirical evidence, the talk highlights AI opportunities for productivity gains of teachers and learning-enhancement, but also raises critical concerns regarding human agency, ethical considerations, and systemic inequalities in education. Drawing on decades of research in AI in education, the presentation emphasises the need to move beyond narrow applications of AI for productivity gains. Instead, it advocates for AI systems that augment human competence, foster lifelong learning skills, and align with broader societal values. Using examples from his own work on multimodal learning analytics and human-centred AI, Professor Cukurova challenges of designing human-AI complementary systems that embed AI within intentional, evidence-informed, and human-centred pedagogical frameworks. The keynote concludes with a call for ecosystem-level innovation—spanning governance, teacher training, and assessment structures—to ensure that AI is not only a tool for automation but a catalyst for equitable, meaningful, and sustainable education.