Since my early days as a Montessori educator and school founder, I have been driven by a passion for reimagining how children learn—fostering curiosity, independence, and a love of lifelong learning. Yet, for over a century, our education system has remained trapped in a rigid, time-based structure that prioritizes uniformity over individual growth. Students are grouped by age rather than ability, progress is measured in arbitrary increments, and standardized tests reduce complex learning to narrow metrics that fail to capture true understanding. But what if we could move beyond this outdated model? What if education were fluid, adaptive, and deeply meaningful—designed to meet each learner where they are? With artificial intelligence (AI), that vision is no longer a distant possibility but an emerging reality.
The Carnegie Unit, the century-old foundation of our education system, was designed for efficiency—not for deep learning. It dictates course schedules, graduation requirements, and even funding mechanisms. But in a world where skills like critical thinking, adaptability, and collaboration are more valuable than ever, measuring learning by seat time makes little sense.
The Problem with Standardized Education
Standardized tests, another outdated pillar, attempt to provide accountability but often reduce learning to memorization. They create unnecessary stress for students and teachers alike while failing to capture critical skills like problem-solving, creativity, and resilience. Employers and higher education institutions increasingly recognize that transcripts and test scores are weak indicators of a student’s true capabilities.
How AI Can Transform Learning
AI is poised to dismantle these outdated structures and usher in a new era of personalized, competency-based education. By leveraging AI, we can:
1. Enable Real-Time, Personalized Learning
AI-driven platforms can analyze student interactions and provide tailored feedback in real time. Instead of waiting for the results of a high-stakes test, students receive immediate, formative assessments that guide their learning paths based on their unique strengths and challenges. Imagine a student struggling with fractions. An AI tutoring system could identify the specific concept they’re misunderstanding (like the relationship between numerators and denominators) and provide targeted exercises and visual aids. It adapts in real-time, offering more challenging problems when the student grasps the concept and providing extra support when needed. This avoids the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach of traditional math lessons.
2. Make Standardized Testing Obsolete
With AI’s ability to track student progress through daily interactions and project-based assessments, the need for standardized tests fades away. Imagine an education system where student mastery is continuously assessed through AI-powered simulations, interactive problem-solving tasks, and real-world applications of knowledge. Imagine, our kids never having to take a standardized test again.
3. Facilitate Competency-Based Progression: Sparking Curiosity
Instead of advancing students based on seat time, AI can track mastery of skills, allowing students to move forward when they’re ready. This approach ensures that no student is left behind due to rigid pacing, and fast learners aren’t held back by arbitrary timelines. AI can also follow the child’s lead by learning her interests and integrating these interests to spark curiosity, engagement and motivation.
4. Support Educators with Data-Driven Insights
AI doesn’t replace teachers—it empowers them. Educators can use AI-driven insights to tailor instruction, identify students who need additional support, and design meaningful learning experiences that go beyond rote memorization. Educators will have reliable formative data about their students’ strengths and weaknesses in real time so they can tailor classroom activities to support individual learning.
5. Expand Access to High-Quality Learning Experiences
AI-powered tools can bring expert instruction and interactive learning opportunities to students in underserved communities. Whether through adaptive tutoring systems or AI-driven project-based learning, students everywhere can access resources tailored to their needs. As AI technology advances, the costs for AI products will drop dramatically, making these tools affordable to individuals and communities.
The Path Forward
The promise of AI in education is not about automating learning; it’s about humanizing it. By removing the barriers of standardized, time-bound systems, AI can help every learner develop the skills they need to thrive in an uncertain and rapidly evolving world. I’m feeling more optimistic than ever that we now have the technology to transform our education systems to meet the needs of today’s learners.
When I was invited to consult on the development of an AI learning guide for children ages 5-11, I was thrilled to collaborate with an outstanding team on what has become Marzy—an innovative tool designed to transform education. This project represents an incredible opportunity to harness AI in a way that truly supports children’s natural curiosity, independence, and love of learning.
I am deeply excited about Marzy’s potential to personalize education, foster essential 21st-century skills, and create more meaningful, engaging learning experiences for students everywhere. As we bring this vision to life, I look forward to learning alongside our team, ensuring we do this right—with integrity, best practices grounded in the latest research, and the highest standards of internet safety and data security. Parents can feel confident that Marzy is not just innovative but also a safe, ethical, and truly beneficial tool for their children’s growth and development.