During my visit to Bett UK (January 21–23, 2026), one thing became clear:artificial intelligencecan further widen the gaps among students and between them and their teachers. Just like on the London Underground, the inattentive, passive, and unconscious use of AI can lead to serious mishaps along the way. Rushing ahead (or taking shortcuts) further increases the risk in education.

Representing Cogna and Saber from the perspective of public education, I had the opportunity to make several technical visits alongside secretaries of education. The lecture by Jon Cardoso-Silva, a professor at the London School of Economics (LSE)—a Brazilian and a leading authority on AI in education—was BRILLIANT, to borrow the term from the model he created, using the acronym for GENerative AI (in Portuguese, too) tools as a catalyst for learning.

Jon showed us that the gap we should be concerned about (yes, “mind the gap” again) isn’t the use of AI itself. It’s the risk that AI might cause us to skip critical stages of intellectual development.

When students care more about the result—the grade—than about the journey itself, this leads them to use AI as a shortcut, replacing their learning process and the effort required to develop critical skills and mature as students. As the Spanish poet Antonio Machado said, “Walker, there is no path; the path is made by walking.” Students may even get a good grade with AI, but they forgo the richness of the journey of learning.

This is where a fundamental point comes in—and, for me, one of the most powerful aspects of the debate at Bett UK: AI can also be an ally in fostering a more human-centered education. When used thoughtfully, AI expands the teacher’s role and empowers students to take the lead in their own learning. In other words, when used intentionally, AI becomes a “dialogue partner,” enhancing human capabilities.

When used for educational purposes, technology supports, personalizes, and accelerates processes, while freeing up educators’ time and energy for what is irreplaceable: building relationships, listening, and paying close attention to each student. Viewing the student as a unique individual ceases to be mere rhetoric and becomes a reality. The human factor once again takes center stage in the educational experience.

It’s quite a change in education. Schools that fail to recognize the responsibility and urgency of rethinking their models will create ever-widening gaps in the tracks of a high-speed train (or trAIn), which accelerates even further with each technological cycle.

About the author:

*This text does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bett Brasil.

Share on social media: