Zach Cohen, EdTech partner at a16z, highlights how universities are moving quickly to require generative AI usage in academic programs.
Disclosure
Cohen: Hesitant to invest in AI edtech focused solely on teacher productivity
“One of the reasons why I've had, like, a little bit of a hard time investing in these early education companies is they're allowing a teacher to be a lot more productive and be 10 times better at their job, have feel like burnout is a lot lower. Incredible, ri…”
Prediction Not checkable as stated
Cohen: AI will eliminate active teaching but won't replace human teachers
“I think we're very far away from AI teachers. Now, I think what will happen is, like, the amount of active teaching will go away because I think you can, like, have really good active teaching with AI but I don't think it's going to fully replace a human teach…”
Disclosure
Cohen: AI startup charged $500 monthly promising 3rd-grade literacy in 3 months
“I think, like, one of the most interesting pitches I've seen, and the company was super early, was an AI reading company, which basically, like, sent kids books, and then they had AI teach the kids how to read, And it was mostly three to four year olds, and it…”
Opinion
Zach Cohen: Generative AI tools make teachers 10x better at their jobs
“They're allowing a teacher to be a lot more productive and be 10 times better at their job.”
Assertion Supported
Cohen: Teachers are paying out-of-pocket for daily AI software
“It's teachers who are willing to kind of pay and use this in their every single day workflow.”
Assertion Partly supported
Cohen: 80% of US K-12 school districts have AI procurement teams
“I think, 80% of districts now have, like, a generative AI team that's going after and looking at procuring, kind of, new technologies. So not only is there, like, earmarked budget, there are people who are thinking and proactively looking for it.”