Your child's new classmate

ARNO Jansen Van Vuuren, Managing Director of Futurewise, shares what parents need to know about Al in the classroom the good, the bad...and the dangerous.

- STAFF REPORTER

Back in the day (which is really only a few short years ago) students studied in “analogue”; think dog-eared textbooks, handwritten notes, Google Search and maybe a text or two to an overachieving friend.

From drafting essays to summarising chapters, checking maths problems and brainstorming science projects, ChatGPT and similar tools are rapidly and dramatically redefining how young people approach their studies.

But are these tools boosting learning or replacing it? As the world celebrates Youth Month, Van Vuuren believes it's worth asking: what does the advent of Al mean for education in South Africa, and how can parents guide their children to use it in a way that supports - rather than shortcuts - their growth?