Education is at a pivotal crossroads as artificial intelligence continues to redefine how work and knowledge are distributed. Does AI help students learn in a more customized and efficient way, or does it promote withdrawal by doing too much intellectual heavy lifting? This answer, according to two technical voices today, depends on how learning systems are designed and how to rethink the purpose of education itself.Between Fortune Brainstorming AI The Singapore conference led by Ramintinati, who leads at Accenture's APAC Advanced AI APAC centre, has expressed caution about the productivity and impact of AI on learning. Earlier this year, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang provided a contrasting idea about the relationship between AI and cognitive growth during his CNN appearance. Fareed Zakaria GPS.Together, their perspectives highlight the growing disparities in how experts view the role of AI in student learning. It can be either a deeper thinking enabler or a risky tool that promotes passivity.
Personalized tools or automatic shortcuts?
Speaking in Singapore, Tinati questioned the assumption that faster task completion equals productivity and improved learning. “If you give employees the tools to make things faster, they do it faster. But are they more productive? Perhaps not, because they make it faster and then go to a coffee break,” he said. The similarities in education are clear. AI tools can help students complete their assignments quickly, but does that amount to a deeper understanding?Tinati warned that meaningful advancements require more than bolting AI into existing structures. For schools and universities, this raises important questions about whether classroom workflows, assessment methods, and pedagogy have been redesigned to make the most of AI, or whether technology is layered on older systems.His comments suggest that without a holistic reinvention of how education is provided, students could become increasingly passive learners, instead of developing analytical and creative skills, relying on AI-generated summaries, solutions, and answers.
Intelligence amplifier or crutches?
Jensen Huang, on the other hand, sees AI as an amplifier rather than a shortcut. Rejecting the concerns raised by a study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) that frequently suggests that AI use can impair cognitive function, NVIDIA CEO provided a personal point of competence.Huang said he uses AI “literally every day.” Fareed Zakaria GPS In July 2025, he says, “cognitive skills are actually improving.”His stance reflects the idea that, when used intentionally by AI, it can deepen intellectual engagement by releasing mental bandwidth. Instead of spending time on memorization or repetitive tasks, students can spend more time asking deeper questions, integrating ideas, or applying knowledge in a creative context.
Changes in educational philosophy
As schools and universities integrate generation AI tools into classrooms, tensions between automation and agencies become more urgent. Adaptive learning platforms, AI tutorbots, and automated grading systems provide the promise of scale and personalization, but also run the risk of removing the friction essential to deep learning.Educators remain divided. Some view AI as a valuable co-pilot, helping to distinguish teaching and provide real-time feedback. Others worry that excessive reliance on AI will invade students' critical thinking and reduce opportunities for productive struggle, an important part of learning.But what both camps agree is that AI's impact on education is less by the technology itself and more by the value, structure and pedagogy surrounding its use. Tinati's call to “reform work” resonates with education leaders who argue that digitizing textbooks and automating homework checks is not enough.A true transformation requires a rethinking of how knowledge is acquired, applied and evaluated. For some, this means designing a learning environment in which AI acts as a guide rather than an alternative. For others, it means slowing the rush to support and automate deeper dialogues about learning outcomes.
What's ahead
Once AI becomes embedded in classrooms and curriculum, its effects can remain contested. The difference between those who view it as a tool of liberation and those who view it as a threat to student autonomy reflects broader uncertainty about the future of learning.For now, discussions between voices like Jensen Huang and Ramine Tinati highlight issues that are important for educators and policymakers. Can we form AI to provide educational goals or restructure education without pondering?TOI Education is currently available on WhatsApp. Follow us here.
