When the conversation about artificial intelligence in education turns to anxiety, the fear is usually the same. Will machines replace teachers?McGraw Hill President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Philip Moyer doesn’t think so.In a recent opinion piece published in good luckMoyer addressed the question. “Aren’t you afraid of what AI will do to your industry?” He wrote what he was asked immediately after assuming charge. His answer was straightforward: “Not a bit.”Moir’s confidence comes from experience with major technology changes. He has worked at Microsoft, Amazon and Google, and led companies such as Vimeo. At each stage, he argues, predictions about the technology in place of entire industries have declined.The same pattern is now being replicated with AI in education, he says.
Learning is more than information.
At the heart of Muir’s argument is a simple claim. Learning is not just about processing data.“Learning is not a data problem. It is physical, social and emotional,” she wrote in the piece. They argue that these dimensions are shaped by context such as age, culture, and everyday experiences. “No algorithm gets it. Only a teacher does.”To illustrate the difference between human learning and machine learning, Moyer points to research from Harvard University and Google. A tiny piece of human brain tissue, about the size of a grain of rice, contains tens of thousands of cells and millions of synapses. It processes vast amounts of information using minimal energy.In contrast, training advanced artificial intelligence models requires significant computational power and resources.The comparison isn’t just technical, it shows how human cognition works in ways that aren’t easily replicated.
Teaching requires constant adaptation.
Moyer also focuses on the complexity of teaching itself.The human mind is not static. They are constantly changing as new information is absorbed. This means that every student comes into the classroom with a different personality every day.Using the example of Algebra 2, he notes that there are thousands of possible states of knowledge that a student can be in. For teachers, this translates into navigating multiple learning paths at the same time.“The best teachers don’t intentionally calculate it. They just know their students,” he wrote. This includes recognizing the strengths, struggles and even temperament of the student.Moments of understanding, when a student says “I understand,” are central to this process. According to Moyer, this is where human learning fundamentally differs from artificial intelligence systems. “No LLM has ever felt this way. No LLM ever will.”
Limitations of technology and replication
Moyer also puts the current debate into a technological perspective.He argues that companies have repeatedly assumed that only software can replicate complex human systems. In education, this assumption has often failed. Teaching methods vary across regions, institutions and individual classrooms.“The ‘last mile’ of education has always failed Silicon Valley,” he wrote.Instead of replacing teachers, Moyer suggests AI should be used to support them. Tools powered by machine learning and large language models are already being used to identify learning gaps and create personalized content.He says these tools are most effective when they help teachers guide students rather than act as substitutes.
What does this mean for education?
Muir’s theory does not rule out the role of AI. They recognize that future industries such as robotics, bioinformatics and quantum computing will require new skills.The education system will need to adapt to meet these demands. AI can help with this transition by improving the way content is delivered and customized. However, the center of education, he argues, remains the human being.“The complexity of developing human intelligence is greater than any AI model ever created. It rapidly surpasses them all,” Moyer wrote.For now, the debate is less about alternatives and more about balance.AI can change the way education is delivered. But the role of teachers, as spokespeople for learning and human development, is unlikely to disappear.
