AI Empowers Teachers to Focus on What Matters Most

On June 12, 2025, as schools worldwide continue to navigate the rising tide of artificial intelligence, a clear and grounded voice emerged from the heart of British education. Jill Duffy, Chief Executive of the OCR Exam Board at Cambridge University Press & Assessment, offered a powerful reflection in the Financial Times: AI is not a replacement for teachers, but a tool to help them do their best work.

At a time when education systems are increasingly drawn to the promise of automation, Duffy’s letter is both a reminder and a roadmap. She points out that while AI can offer efficiency and support, it cannot replicate the core of what makes teaching effective—human connection, mentorship, and the nurturing of curiosity. Rather than fearing AI’s influence in the classroom, she encourages educators and institutions to reframe the conversation: it’s not about whether students use AI, but how they use it responsibly and creatively.

Foundational skills, Duffy argues, remain as essential as ever. Literacy, numeracy, and digital fluency form the base from which students can thoughtfully engage with AI tools. Teaching students to analyze, question, and guide AI outputs is now as important as teaching them to read a novel or solve an equation. AI literacy, then, becomes a new pillar of education, not a replacement for traditional ones.

For teachers, the benefits are clear. AI can automate the more repetitive aspects of the job—marking multiple-choice tests, managing lesson logistics, or providing instant feedback on draft work. This frees educators to invest their time where it counts: encouraging creative thinking, offering personal guidance, and supporting student well-being. In short, AI becomes the assistant, not the architect, of the learning process.

Duffy’s stance is a reassuring one. It recognizes AI’s potential without surrendering to it. It insists that students still need real people to challenge, inspire, and care for them. And it places the teacher—rather than the technology—at the center of the educational experience. In a world rapidly reshaped by machine learning, that perspective is not only timely but vital.