Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a far-off concept found in SciFi movies. We're now seeing it play out in our everyday lives, from our smartphones to our smart home devices (Alexa...).

AI is driving huge changes in a wide range of industries, and it's playing a particularly big part in education. It's transforming the way teachers teach and students learn, and only time will tell how far it will go in revolutionizing the education sector.

According to Global Market Insights, global AI usage in education is estimated to have an annual growth rate of 45%, and is predicted to reach a whopping $80 billion USD by 2030. Which means we can expect to see a whole lot of change over the coming years.

Let's take a look at AI in education: how it's being used now, and how it might be used in the future.

AI in education takes on many forms, benefiting students, teachers, and administrative staff alike. It can be used in the classroom - and at home - for any age group, which is what makes it so exciting, with so much potential!

Here are five of the top examples of how AI is being used in education:

• Helps with grading

So much of teachers' time is traditionally spent doing administrative tasks like grading. AI-powered tools like Gradescope make grading less time-consuming, and provide data on students that can indicate where additional assistance is needed.

• Assists with administrative tasks

Teachers and administrators can all benefit from AI when it comes to other administrative tasks and course scheduling. Artificial intelligence can automate these types of tasks, giving educational staff more time to focus on other aspects of their job.

• Personalized learning experiences

AI-powered software like Thinkster Math creates personalized learning programs based on each student's individual needs, highlighting areas of weakness and repeating these topics until they've been mastered. This makes learning more comfortable, enjoyable, and effective for students.

• Universal access

Students learn at different levels, but they also have different needs and come from different backgrounds. Artificial intelligence makes school accessible for everyone, including those who speak different languages or who have visual or hearing impairments. Software like Presentation Translator gives students real-time subtitles and translations for everything the teacher says.

• Smart content creation

Creating learning content takes a lot of time, which is something that teachers rarely have enough of. AI can help them to generate content. AI-powered transcription platforms like Transcribe save teachers hours typing up lesson notes, providing them with a lesson transcript that they can edit down into easy-to-use learning content - whether that's for students who are off sick or for homework and revision material.

Learn more about the benefits of academic transcription.

• 24/7 assistance

Thanks to AI-powered education software like Brainly, students have access to 24/7 assistance, which helps them with their homework and can take some of the pain away from self-study.

With AI programs and apps, students can log in and learn anywhere and anytime. Apps that provide immediate feedback mean that students don't have to wait to find out whether they're on the right track, and since AI can personalize content depending on each individual's ability, students can take more control of their learning and work on subjects that they're struggling with.

Teachers see the same advantages, but through a different lens. If students feel more in control and responsible for their study, they'll be more engaged and more willing to learn. And just as students can work on their problem areas of study, teachers can use this information to understand what they need to do more of in class.

It's no secret that young people spend a lot of time on their phones. And sometimes if you can't beat them, you have to join them! AI has enabled teachers to engage their students and make learning more fun for everyone involved.

The future of AI in education is looking bright, with forecasts like the one we mentioned earlier predicting an incredibly huge rise in the usage of AI in education over the coming year. The more teachers and students use AI in education, the smarter it will become, so the possibilities are virtually endless, but here's what we can predict:

• More and more personalized

The way students learn with AI apps will become more sophisticated, with the ability to analyze data more effectively. This will lead to an even more personalized learning experience for students.

• Virtual reality

As virtual reality becomes more sophisticated, VR software is likely to be used more and more in schools to give students first-hand experience in different subjects. For example, in science class, experiments might be performed using VR, meaning that the experiments can be more advanced yet safer than ever before.

• Teachers vs robots

Some educators fear that AI technology might replace the role of the teacher altogether in the future. However, it doesn't look like that will happen anytime soon.

AI might be able to teach students math and help them learn a new language, but most agree that human teachers are irreplaceable when it comes to other fundamental aspects of education like building social and emotional skills.

So teachers won't be getting replaced by robots anytime soon, but AI will change their ways of working going forward.

• Preparing students for a digital workplace

The use of AI in the workplace is only going to grow, so students will continue to be taught about Artificial Intelligence. Coding is already widely taught in schools, getting students familiar with telling a robot (or a program) what to do, which is preparing them for a future where robots and humans work together.

What to know more about how AI is being used in everyday life? Check out our blog post on AI transcription.

Written By Katie Garrett