A.I. in Education Is Not Inevitable

The push for Artificial Intelligence in K–12 education has been framed as a technological inevitability driven by market forces and the allure of increased efficiency. Advocates argue that AI will streamline lesson planning, individualize learning, and enhance student engagement, making the traditional classroom obsolete. Yet, beneath these sleek promises lies a more pressing question: Should we accept this transformation without scrutiny? 

At Cincy Classical, our answer is a firm no. 

Classical education, with its emphasis on analytical thought, meaningful teacher-student relationships, and the cultivation of wisdom, offers a necessary counterpoint to the tech-mediated future being sold—yes, sold!—to educators. Resisting AI’s encroachment is not only possible; we believe that it is necessary to preserve the integrity of true learning.

Here’s a logical starting point: Information does not equate to knowledge. It never has, and it never will. A child fed the sum total of Wikipedia’s entries would still know no more of virtue, beauty, or truth than a medieval monk with a single tattered manuscript. Knowing requires struggle, synthesis, and the slow forging of connections—things an AI will never experience. The classical tradition understands this. It does not ask students to parrot information but to wrestle with texts, ideas, and problems. It demands the fine art of dialectic, the shaping of arguments, and the discernment of meaning. It demands academic integrity.

AI in education offers an illusion of intelligence, seducing us with ease. But true education is about more than convenience. It requires engagement, debate, and contemplation. What AI proposes—automating the intellectual labor of thinking, writing, and debating—would erode all of this..

AI Is Not ‘Just Another Tool’

Some argue that AI is merely another tool, akin to the printing press or the calculator. But this analogy is flawed. A hammer does not replace the carpenter. A calculator does not negate the need for mathematical reasoning. AI, however, does not merely aid the intellect; it replaces its function. When students rely on AI-generated writing, they bypass the essential struggle of thought formation. They learn to consume rather than create.

More insidiously, AI threatens the relational core of education. Learning is not simply the transmission of content, nor is it a transaction between teacher and student; it is a human activity shaped by discussion, mentorship, and community. We don’t just hand a student an iPad and send him on his way. At Ciny Classical we engage students in conversation, challenging their assumptions and (we hope) guiding them toward deeper understanding. To outsource this to a machine is not just to change the method of education; it is to abandon its purpose.

The Classical Alternative

Despite mounting pressures for schools across the nation to adopt AI—and adopt it now!—hope remains. Classical education stands as a defiant alternative, emphasizing the liberal arts, rhetoric, logic, and the contemplative reading of great texts. In an era drowning in data but starved of wisdom, this tradition provides not just a counterweight but an antidote to the passivity encouraged by AI-driven “learning solutions.”

A student trained in the classical tradition does not merely absorb information; he interrogates it, refines it, and applies it with discernment. He does not merely pass tests; he develops judgment, learning to distinguish truth from falsehood, wisdom from mere knowledge. He learns that education is not about efficiency—it is about formation. That is a good summary of our educational goals at Cincy Classical.

Finally, we must resist the temptation to prioritize efficiency over depth. Education has never been efficient. It has always been slow, deliberate, and deeply human. To embrace AI in the classroom is not to advance education but to surrender it, to trade the living intellect for a simulated one, to exchange wisdom for convenience.

At Cincinnati Classical Academy, we are unwilling to do that. Instead, we stand for the enduring value of a truly human education. We resist the so-called inevitability of AI-dominated education. We insist upon the human. And in doing so, we ensure that our students emerge not just knowledgeable—but wise.

Torches Up!