## A New Type of AI Is Changing Education

Agentic AI is different from the chatbots like ChatGPT that people have been using. Regular AI tools answer questions when you ask them something. But agentic AI can make decisions and do tasks on its own. It can plan what to do, take action, and keep learning to reach a goal. Think of it like having a robot helper that can work without someone telling it every single step.

## The Einstein Tool Surprises Everyone

This week, a young tech entrepreneur named Advait Paliwal created a tool called Einstein that shows exactly what agentic AI can do. Einstein connects to Canvas, a system that millions of schools and students use. When a student signs up, Einstein can:

- Log into Canvas every day - Watch lectures and read essays - Write papers and do homework - Participate in class discussions - Submit assignments automatically

The surprising part is that Einstein keeps working even when students are sleeping. Paliwal created Einstein on purpose to show how powerful agentic AI is becoming. He wanted to spark a big conversation about what this means for schools and learning.

## Schools Are Worried About Cheating

Teachers and school leaders immediately started worrying about what Einstein means for academic integrity. Academic integrity means doing your own honest work. Many educators say that if students can use agentic AI to complete entire courses, students might not learn anything.

One important question is: What makes a student's credential (like a degree) valuable? If some students use agentic AI to complete courses without learning, while other students do the real work, the degree becomes less trustworthy. Teachers worry that "their credits will be suspect and won't count in the job market".

The courses most at risk are ones that use quizzes, discussions, and papers to test learning. These classes are sometimes called "transactional" because they focus on moving students through content rather than building real skills.

## But Some Experts See Opportunity

Not all educators think agentic AI is purely bad. Some say that Einstein and tools like it might force schools to become better. One professor explained that huge lecture halls with 400 students are actually "the most destructive educational technology we have". If agentic AI makes schools realize they need to change, that could be positive.

These educators believe schools should focus less on transactional learning (just memorizing facts) and more on authentic learning where students solve real problems and think critically.

## William & Mary Shows a Better Way

William & Mary University held a special two-day workshop called TARGAS II to explore how to teach better with AI. Teachers from different subjects worked with AI student fellows to redesign assignments.

Instead of asking "Should we use AI in schools?", they asked "What should students actually learn and practice in a world where AI exists?". The teachers focused on:

- Making sure students understand why AI is useful - Creating assignments where AI helps but doesn't replace thinking - Having students explain their thinking and decisions - Using real-world projects instead of just tests

Student fellows at William & Mary said the workshop was incredibly rewarding. One student said, "We were teaching professors our perspective on how AI affected our own learning as well as our moral beliefs on how it should be used in education".

## Assessment Needs to Change

Experts agree that traditional tests and essays are no longer enough to prove a student learned something. If agentic AI can write a good essay in seconds, then essays can't be the main way to test learning.

Instead, schools should use:

- Performance assessments where students show real skills - Workplace simulations and real projects - Portfolio evidence where students collect their best work - Reflective writing where students explain their thinking - Authentic tasks tied to real-world problems

One expert explained: "the focus needs to move to competence, performance, and experiential assessment".

## AI Detection Tools Don't Work Well

Schools might think they can use special software to catch students using agentic AI, but these detection tools are not reliable. They have "high false-positive rates," which means they accuse innocent students of cheating. Schools could get in trouble legally if they punish students based on unreliable AI detection.

Instead of trying to catch cheating, educators should focus on redesigning assessments so agentic AI can't complete them.

## What Happens Next?

Experts say schools must act quickly. The conversation about agentic AI is happening right now, and schools that wait too long might miss the chance to shape how this technology is used responsibly. Teachers, school leaders, and AI companies all need to work together to create guardrails and rules that protect real learning.

The goal is not to ban agentic AI from schools, but to use it in ways that help students learn better and develop the unique human skills that matter most.