(Continued from the Symposium on Education in the AI Era)
　After that, since the discussion time was limited to just 30 minutes, I handed out “yes/no” cards and response boards to allow everyone to express their opinions, and then posed the following questions.
The questions I asked are listed below.
■ Regarding the Children
・Have the children’s grades improved?　
・Has the students’ attitude toward learning improved?
・Is AI effective for all students?
■ Regarding Parents’ and Teachers’ Reactions
・Have parents’ reactions been positive?
・Has it become easier for teachers to teach?
■ Regarding School Implementation
・Is introducing AI into all subjects effective?
・Should schools actively implement it?
・Can introducing AI in schools significantly reduce the number of class hours?
■ Other Points
・Can AI help cultivate 21st-century skills?
・Will teachers be replaced by AI in 20 years?
■ Summary
・What are the challenges in incorporating AI into education?
・What are the future possibilities for incorporating AI into education?

　When asked whether AI implementation had improved children’s grades, everyone answered “Yes” immediately and without hesitation. While there are many reports of improved learning attitudes, some also expressed concern that students might end up playing around if teachers do not provide specific instructions, suggesting that care must be taken in how AI is implemented.
Some also noted that AI may be more suitable for some children than others.The key differentiator is whether or not a child has a desire to learn. While AI can support students with lower academic ability, it cannot instill dreams or goals. Only by combining the motivational power of teachers with AI can we create a learning environment truly suited to each student.
　All parents also gave a positive response. Although some were initially skeptical, their understanding has gradually deepened.Above all, since it’s proving effective, parents are naturally pleased. Some parents have commented that, compared to other tutoring centers, their children seem to enjoy attending these classes, and the ability to discuss their children’s progress while reviewing data has also received high praise.
While the business leaders on the panel understood the significance and effectiveness of AI implementation, how do teachers view it?While 6 out of 9 teachers responded that it has made teaching easier, 3 were unsure. It appears that not “all” teachers are successfully incorporating it. Teachers with low IT literacy and those who genuinely enjoy teaching tend to feel uncertain. Do teachers who love teaching feel as though their jobs are being taken away? This may be a challenge for the future.

　Everyone also gave a thumbs-up to its adoption in schools. While there are subjects for which it is more or less suitable, the consensus is that AI is effective across all academic disciplines. With the increasing volume of required content—such as English and programming—and teachers’ overtime hours becoming a problem, the introduction of AI, which can shorten study time and enable efficient instruction, may be a solution to these challenges.

　While the presentation focused largely on efficient learning of basic academic skills, everyone agreed that AI is also effective for fostering 21st-century skills. Currently, AI is being developed for adaptive learning, but the next step is simply to develop AI specifically designed to foster 21st-century skills.However, it was noted that we first need to clearly define exactly what “21st-century skills” entail.
　When I posed the somewhat difficult-to-answer question, “Will teachers be replaced by AI in 20 years?”, opinions were divided. Going forward, the role of teachers will change significantly; they will no longer be “teachers” but rather “generators.”Although there were differences in how this was expressed, everyone agreed that the role of teachers will change significantly. It was encouraging to see that many participants marked “○” to indicate their willingness to work toward this goal.

　My final questions concerned challenges and future prospects.
　While environmental factors such as budget, network infrastructure, and device standards were cited as challenges, the most frequently mentioned issue was “mindset.”There was consensus that the “will” to embrace change positively is crucial.
Regarding future possibilities, many participants mentioned “value-added learning.” They seem to view the ability to carve out time for cross-curricular and project-based learning—which fosters 21st-century skills—as the greatest value.
　Basic academic skills and 21st-century skills have often been discussed as mutually exclusive. While 21st-century skills are important, isn’t there a risk that basic academic skills will decline?

The consensus among today’s speakers was that both are important and can be achieved simultaneously.By using technology to streamline the time required to master foundational academic skills, we can foster new forms of learning—including 21st-century skills—and the abilities needed to thrive in the future. That seemed to be the vision everyone was striving for.

Today’s conclusions can be summarized as follows:
・ AI-powered educational materials improve scores in foundational academic skills
・ AI-powered educational materials make it possible to simultaneously improve foundational academic skills and cultivate 21st-century skills
・ The combination of teachers and AI is crucial, and the role of teachers will change.

It was a very stimulating discussion where I could sense the signs of change in education.

　Japan, which could be considered a developing nation in terms of educational digitization, has finally begun to make progress in developing its infrastructure.However, I believe that while these efforts to promote educational digitization are about catching up with the rest of the world, we must also simultaneously work to design cutting-edge learning experiences for the AI/IoT era.
That is the purpose of establishing the “Learning of Tomorrow” association.
　Together with IT organizations and others, I want to work toward breaking new ground with private-sector business leaders in a technology-driven manner.That is the goal of this new organization. Since the shortage of IT talent has been an issue in our country for the past 30 years, I intend to do my utmost to ensure the private sector unites and drives this initiative forward.
The symposium marking the establishment of the “Learning of Tomorrow Association” will be held on May 29.