AI brings the promise of personalized learning. With the assistance of AI technology, teachers can design customized curriculums and interactive tutoring for a diverse classroom, meeting each student where they are, from special needs to advanced learning. 

Expert Perspectives:

Ola Ozernov-Palchik

Ola Ozernov-Palchik is a Research Assistant Professor at Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development and core faculty at the AI & Education Initiative. She is also a research scientist at MIT’s McGovern Institute for Brain Research. Her recent line of research includes harnessing and advancing AI to create effective, personalized, and scalable tools for literacy.

Ola’s key takeaways: 

• AI has the potential to transform personalized learning, especially for students who struggle under a “one size fits all” approach. For example, in reading instruction, AI can make vocabulary teaching more measurable and effective by providing targeted support that helps close learning gaps. This adaptability is especially valuable for students with special needs, where individualized instruction is essential but often difficult to achieve in low-resource settings. 

• AI can bring that level of customization by supplementing teachers and enabling earlier interventions such as dyslexia screening in kindergarten. By detecting subtle patterns in speech or behavior, AI can help identify learning difficulties much earlier, before students lose confidence or disengage, giving educators the tools to act before the gaps widen

• Building detailed student profiles requires significant amounts of data, raising questions about privacy, acceptable data use, and the “black box” nature of AI decision-making.
• The key is to pair AI insights with human expertise, preserving the irreplaceable value of teacher-student interaction. Progress should be guided by research data and proven methods, ensuring that AI strengthens the foundation of learning. By proceeding carefully while still embracing innovation, we can create a future where learning for every student is more precise, engaging, and effective than ever before.