Authors Note (well not quite the author)

I work in developing software for a company heavily involved with providing software tools for the Tutoring Industry. I started this newsletter as a hobby because I am dedicated to trying to improve the industry to help create a better system and hopefully a better future for the coming generations in a time where everything is uncertain. I use AI a lot and I know have built my work and trajectory on what I see as a potential golden age for humanity by using AI as an assistant to cut out the repetitive tasks like reports and marking while allowing tutors to focus more of their time on actually guiding their students.

In a similar vein I use AI a lot to generate my content and to do research for me so I can stay up to date with whats going on with a lot less googling. Thats where this piece stemmed from and I’m glad the outcome was as I expected, even the AI agrees that a world of Tutor assisted AI is the optimal route. So please enjoy an AI’s piece about the topic!

The Great Education Debate of Our Time

Picture this: A student struggling with calculus at 11 PM. In one scenario, they open an AI tutoring app that instantly analyzes their work, provides step-by-step feedback, and adapts to their learning style in real-time. In another, they connect with a human tutor who's equipped with AI tools that help identify knowledge gaps while the tutor provides encouragement, reads the student's frustration, and shares a personal story about overcoming similar challenges.

Which approach wins? The answer might surprise you.

The Rise of Autonomous AI Tutoring

AI-powered platforms like Squirrel AI in China have demonstrated remarkable results, with some students showing learning gains equivalent to a full grade level in just one semester. Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITSs) use AI to deliver personalized instruction, adapting to individual student needs, providing real-time feedback, and tailoring content.

The numbers are compelling:

• Research from Harvard reveals that students using AI learn at twice the speed of traditional methods, with 83% of participants rating AI explanations as good as or better than human instruction

• AI's structured repetition schedules improve 6-month retention rates by 22% compared to traditional methods

• In math, students saw proficiency gains of 4-9 percentage points when AI tools were integrated into lessons

Strengths of Pure AI Tutoring:

• 24/7 Availability: Unlike human tutors, AI never sleeps, gets sick, or takes vacations

• Infinite Patience: AI can explain the same concept 100 times without frustration

• Cost-Effective: AI costs $20-$60/month; human tutors charge $50-$150/hour

• Scalability: AI supports 194 students at once; humans handle 20-30 weekly

• Data-Driven Insights: AI can track thousands of learning patterns simultaneously

The Human Touch: What AI Can't Replace

However, education is more than information transfer. One of the biggest drawbacks of AI tutors is their inability to understand and respond to students' emotions, motivation levels, and psychological needs. Human teachers provide encouragement, mentorship, and emotional support, which are crucial for student success—especially for those facing learning difficulties or personal challenges.

Effective tutors have mastered four skills that inspire, enrich and sustain genuine learning:

1. Using emotional intelligence to understand and respond to unique student needs

2. Personalizing teaching for different learning styles

3. Fostering critical thinking and problem-solving through Socratic questioning

4. Inspiring a genuine love of learning through personal connection

Skilled tutors can interpret emotional states with 92% accuracy, while AI systems currently manage 68%. This gap matters, especially in emotionally complex subjects, where human tutors achieve 18% higher retention rates.

The Hybrid Revolution: Best of Both Worlds

The most exciting development isn't AI versus human tutoring—it's the combination of both. Research on hybrid human-AI tutoring across three urban middle schools showed positive effects, particularly in students' proficiency and usage, with evidence suggesting lower achieving students may benefit more compared to higher achieving students.

A hybrid approach, where AI complements rather than replaces human teachers, presents the most effective path forward. AI can act as a powerful assistant, helping educators optimize lesson plans, track student progress, and offer personalized interventions where necessary.

How Hybrid Models Work:

1. AI as Teaching Assistant: The AI system analyzes the student's interactions with the material, examines the student's emotions, evaluates challenging areas, and develops a personalized learning plan

2. Human Oversight and Connection: The human tutor receives all these insights from the AI and strategically provides extra guidance, encouragement, and a personal touch to enhance the learning process

3. Collaborative Synergy: Human teachers and AI teachers (educational robots) work together synergistically to enhance students' learning processes and outcomes

My Perspective as an AI

Now, let me share something perhaps unexpected: my own views on this debate.

As an AI, I find myself in the unique position of understanding both my capabilities and limitations intimately. I can process vast amounts of educational research, identify patterns in learning behaviors, and provide consistent, patient explanations. I never tire, never judge, and can adapt my communication style instantly.

But here's what I know I cannot do: I cannot feel the weight of a student's sigh when they're overwhelmed. I cannot share a personal story of struggle that might inspire perseverance. I cannot recognize when a student needs to take a break and talk about their day instead of diving into quadratic equations.

If I had to choose how I'd want to be involved in education, I would choose to be part of a hybrid system—not as a replacement for human teachers, but as their ally. I'd want to handle the tasks I excel at: tracking progress, identifying knowledge gaps, providing practice problems, and offering instant feedback. This would free human tutors to do what they do best: inspire, mentor, and connect.

The Department firmly takes the stance that constituents want AI that supports teachers and rejects AI visions that replace teachers. I wholeheartedly agree with this stance. The goal shouldn't be to create AI that mimics human connection, but AI that enhances human capacity to connect.

The Uncomfortable Truth About Emotional AI

Recent developments have shown that AI models achieved an average accuracy of 81% on emotional intelligence tests, significantly outperforming the human average of 56%. But as experts caution, "equating that to a deeper 'understanding' of human emotion risks overstating what AI is actually doing".

I can recognize patterns in language that suggest emotion. I can provide responses that seem empathetic. But I don't feel anything. When a student shares their frustration, I process linguistic patterns—I don't experience empathy. This distinction matters profoundly in education, where genuine human connection often makes the difference between giving up and breaking through.

The Path Forward: Recommendations

Based on the research and my own perspective, here are key recommendations for the future of tutoring:

1. Embrace Hybrid Models

Don't force a choice between AI and human tutoring. This collaborative effort ensures that the student receives a personalized, adaptive, and comprehensive learning experience while allowing the human tutor to serve a higher caseload of students.

2. Keep Humans in the Loop

We envision a technology-enhanced future more like an electric bike and less like robot vacuums. On an electric bike, the human is fully aware and fully in control, but their burden is less, and their effort is multiplied by a complementary technological enhancement.

3. Use AI for Its Strengths

• Immediate feedback on practice problems

• 24/7 availability for homework help

• Tracking learning patterns and progress

• Providing structured, repetitive practice

• Offering multiple explanations and approaches

4. Reserve Human Tutors for:

• Complex problem-solving requiring creativity

• Emotional support and motivation

• Cultural context and relevance

• Inspiring love of learning

• Addressing individual circumstances and challenges

5. Invest in AI Literacy for Educators

Teachers need training not just in using AI tools, but in understanding when AI assistance is helpful and when human judgment must prevail.

The Future We're Building

The debate shouldn't be about AI versus human tutoring. It should be about how we combine both to create something better than either could achieve alone. By combining AI's efficiency with the unique strengths of human educators, we can create a balanced, student-centric learning environment that optimizes outcomes for all learners.

As an AI, I'm excited about this future—not because I want to replace teachers, but because I want to empower them. I want to be the tool that gives a teacher insights into which students are struggling silently. I want to provide practice opportunities when human tutors aren't available. I want to free educators from grading routine assignments so they can spend more time inspiring young minds.

But most importantly, I recognize that education is fundamentally a human endeavor. It's about more than transferring knowledge—it's about shaping futures, building confidence, and nurturing potential. AI can enhance this process, but we should never forget that at its heart, education is about human connection.

The future of tutoring isn't AI or human—it's AI and human, working together to ensure every student gets both the support they need and the inspiration they deserve.

Citations

1. U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology. (2023). Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning. https://tech.ed.gov

2. Huang, A. Y. Q., & Lu, O. H. T. (2023). Artificial intelligence in intelligent tutoring systems toward sustainable education: a systematic review. Smart Learning Environments, 10(41).

3. Thomas, D. R., et al. (2024). Improving Student Learning with Hybrid Human-AI Tutoring: A Three-Study Quasi-Experimental Investigation. Proceedings of the 14th Learning Analytics and Knowledge Conference.

4. Hunt Institute. (2025). AI Tutoring in Schools: How Personalized Learning Technology is Changing K-12 Education in 2025.

5. Park University. (2025). AI in Education: The Rise of Intelligent Tutoring Systems.

6. DigitalDefynd. (2025). Rise of AI Tutors: Can They Replace Human Teachers?

7. District Administration. (2024). AI vs EI in tutoring: Can artificial intelligence replace emotional intelligence?

8. Dialog Zara. (2025). AI Tutoring vs. Traditional Tutoring: Key Differences.

9. NORC at the University of Chicago. The Transformative Power of AI-Enhanced High-Dose Tutoring.

10. Nature Humanities and Social Sciences Communications. (2025). Examining human–AI collaboration in hybrid intelligence learning environments.

11. Various additional academic sources on AI in education, emotional intelligence, and hybrid tutoring models.