How AI could close the education inequality gap - or widen it

As schools and universities take varying stances on AI, some teachers believe the tech can democratize tutoring. Here's how - and where the drawbacks lie.

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Within months of ChatGPT's launch at the end of 2022, the nation's largest public school system had banned the chatbot. It would have negative impacts on student learning, the NYC education department said, also citing concerns about the security and accuracy of ChatGPT's content. 

Across the Hudson River, Franklin School took exactly the opposite approach. The private school in Jersey City, New Jersey, made AI a central part of its curriculum. Opened in 2022, the school began integrating AI tools not to replace teachers, but to enhance their work and deepen student engagement. 

"We looked at the integration on how to enrich the learning for students, but also, at the same time ...