Thoughts for the Future Education in the Era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution

TLDR: In this article, the authors focus on the role computers and Artificial Intelligence could play in future education as well as the risks hiding behind it and conclude that it is highly unlikely for computers and other "clever" Artificial Intelligence machines to replace teachers in the future, because all these devices were created and programmed by humans.

Abstract: Rapid industrial and technological development of the last 100-150 years has caused radical changes to traditional human society, transforming it into a modern society of knowledge and globalisation. As a result, formal education at all levels, from elementary to university/tertiary, faces the great challenge of preparing students for the forthcoming era of a new but not yet well-known industrial revolution. This new era could be characterised as the era of the Internet of Things and Energy and Cyber-Physical Systems. This chapter focuses on the role computers and Artificial Intelligence could play in future education as well as the risks hiding behind it. It concludes that it is highly unlikely for computers and other “clever” Artificial Intelligence machines to replace teachers in the future, because all these devices were created and programmed by humans. It is therefore logical to accept that they will never be able to achieve the quality and independence of human thought. However, it is certain that the role of the teacher will dramatically change in future classrooms.