LSI Director Delivers Powerful Message about AI and Education on International Stage

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Learning Systems Institute (LSI) Director Rabieh Razzouk delivered a powerful message on the use of artificial intelligence in the education sector during a panel discussion at Educators Shaping Futures in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Razzouk, who has been with LSI for more than two decades and has led the institute since 2021, has been at the forefront of edtech for the past 20 years. He leads the Florida Center for Research in STEM (FCR-STEM). He has utilized technology to develop educational platforms and products that have reached hundreds of millions of educators and students globally. 

Razzouk warned the crowd not to miss the opportunity with AI, as educators had done in the past with both computers and the internet. He also addressed educators' fears about the use of AI in classrooms.

"In my opinion, we botched the computer wave a few decades ago in education," said Razzouk. "We still have computers in classrooms collecting dust. We also botched the internet wave. We didn't use the internet to its full capacity in education. We've used it here and there, in different places and for different things. I hope we do better with AI."  

When it comes to the fear of AI in the classroom, Razzouk recognized the importance of adapting to cultural differences and the guardrails that need to be in place, while also putting AI use in the context of past innovations.

"When the calculators came out, we were scared. We're not going to teach math anymore," said Razzouk. "So, you're not allowed to use calculators in schools. Guess what, we learned math then, we're still learning math today."

Razzouk expressed optimism about how AI can revolutionize education and the immediate steps that need to be taken, as AI adoption is happening much faster than that of previous technologies. 

One of his main points was the need to develop tools that involve the end user in the process, which utilize human-centered co-design. The other area Razzouk addressed was the need for local, not global, rules on data infrastructure and AI tool design.

On the topic of how AI can help teachers, the LSI director asserted that, when used properly, AI will allow educators to spend more time with their students each day, cumulatively resulting in a substantial increase in personal instruction. 

“AI can support teachers with customizing lessons to student needs, quickly analyzing data and summarizing where students are struggling, it gives teachers back time,” said Razzouk. “That time goes directly to students through deeper conversations, better questions, and more personalized instruction. AI can help make teaching even more human by eliminating time consuming tasks, improving efficiency, and rapidly brainstorm ideas and develop content.”

Another way Razzouk envisions AI helping educators spend more time teaching students is by automating time-consuming administrative tasks and parent communications.

"If I can tell AI to send an email or text message to all the parents, tell them what we're studying in the classroom today, and then give them an activity to do at home that doesn't require the parent to be a math teacher. All it took the teacher to do (that) is a second. Now we've given (an) extra five minutes of teaching for that student that wasn't there a year ago," said Razzouk.

Videos from the “AI in Education” panel at Educators Shaping Futures are available on the LSI YouTube page.

LSI strives to lead the way in creating innovative educational solutions that seamlessly connect theory with practice. Through advanced research, we develop industry-leading methods and implementation strategies to enhance systematic learning at all levels and in all environments. For more than five decades, LSI has been committed to driving measurable improvements in the performance of both individuals and organizations.

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