As Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to reshape the digital world, educational institutions and teachers are faced with a dilemma. While AI-powered tools could be used to reduce repetitive tasks, translate, check grammar, and help drive improved learning outcomes, they also present challenges relating to authenticity of output, privacy issues, plagiarism and offensive content.
A new report from Futuresource Consulting quantifies the current levels of AI adoption in K-12 and higher education, provides five-year shipment forecasts for AI PCs, and explores the key factors shaping the pace of market expansion over the next five years.
“Since the launch of ChatGPT, less than two years ago, the bid to establish AI as a central teaching and learning tool has rapidly gathered momentum,” says Iryna Kazanchuk, Lead Market Analyst for EdTech and Sustainability at Futuresource Consulting. “We’ve seen continued development to refine cloud-based AI platforms and the introduction of AI-based apps. Recently, the majority of vendors have rolled out the first generation of AI PCs, which promise to reduce the dependency on cloud-based AI services in the future.
“For the education sector, this means teachers will spend less time marking papers, as well as being able to rapidly produce test materials for students of different abilities. They’ll also have access to analytics and information that will allow the ultra-personalisation of learning plans for students. But we must not forget that we’re still at an embryonic stage. To drive widespread adoption, there is a need for proven use cases that demonstrate tangible benefits for teachers and, most importantly, measurable improvements in student learning outcomes.”
Despite the opportunity, all this activity is placing more pressure on already overstretched teachers. Many are having to climb the steep learning curve on a variety of generative AI tools currently appearing in the educational space. And although the rapid rollout of mobile PCs during the pandemic helped many teachers to embrace technology, particularly in the USA where penetration exceeded 90%, there are still many skills and resourcing gaps.
“Attending free industry events, such as Bett UK, can help educators get the support and guidance they need to effectively implement AI tools,” says Kazanchuk, “particularly when they offer CPD accreditation and dedicated training sessions, such as Bett’s Tech User Labs, which can be hard to access in K-12 Schools.”
While there is positive interest in AI adoption from all areas of pedagogy, Futuresource notes that higher education is leading the way. That’s because universities are autonomous and able to set their own AI regulations. In addition, their students are largely over 18 years old, so they are not limited by age restrictions.
Across the K-12 segment, despite lagging behind universities, teachers are upbeat about AI, particularly if it can be used to save time and help drive improved learning outcomes.
“With the launch of Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini, and the imminent release of Apple Intelligence, the education segment will have three powerful and very different AI platforms to choose from,” says Kazanchuk. “Each has its benefits and drawbacks, and competition will undoubtedly spur innovation. However, this is unlikely to drive cost reductions in AI PCs in the near to mid-term, and the cost of entry for cloud-based AI, integrated hardware and devices is currently prohibitive.
“Moving forward, while education will not be at the vanguard, wider AI adoption will benefit the sector from a trickle down of economies of scale, and the resulting price reductions gained by AI adoption across enterprise and consumer segments.”
Futuresource Consulting’s AI in Education report assesses the current state of AI PC hardware and software developments, analyses the benefits and challenges of using AI tools in education, and provides an outlook on the shape of the sector during the next five years. For more information or to make a purchase, please contact Fiona at fiona.mcgill@futuresource-hq.com.
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