My Thoughts on the Major Role Educators Will Be Left With When AI Has Taken Over Learning

The Moat That Protects Educators From AI

The other evening, I fine-tuned some slides for a webinar I was scheduled to deliver. I asked ChatGPT to create a conclusion slide for me. In just five seconds, it generated something so polished that I felt nearly redundant. That moment got me thinking about the classic business idea of a “moat.”

Understanding the Concept of a Moat

In strategy jargon, a moat refers to the protective water trench surrounding a castle. Businesses use it to create a durable advantage. This keeps competitors—or in our case, algorithms—at bay. Recently, a burning question has arisen in my mind:

What is the one thing I can continue to do better than the most advanced AI tutor?

When I reviewed the progress charts for a cohort in an online program we run at Studium Alliance, the dashboard flagged two students who hadn’t logged in for an entire week. Although the content, grading, and reminders were all automated, engagement had stalled. That’s when it hit me:

A machine can deliver content, customize it, track activity, and engage students with automated mechanisms, but it can’t make a learner care.

Now, just a few weeks ago, I wrote an article titled Actually, Yes, AI Can Replace Educators. I realize now that there might be hope for us educators.

The Last Genuine Moat for Educators

In my opinion, sparking curiosity and sustaining motivation form the last genuine moat for educators.

1. Curiosity Activation: This involves igniting the internal questions that make a learner want to explore further. I can read raised eyebrows or the puzzled silence of students. I observe the spark that appears when they suddenly grasp the relevance of a concept to their own lives.

   
   

2. Motivation Regulation: This is about sustaining effort through inevitable frustration, distraction, and cognitive load. I know when to lighten the load, when to push harder, and when to change gears entirely because I can sense the student's emotional temperature drop.

   
   

While AI can recommend “interesting” resources, it does not feel interest. It also cannot read a classroom's emotional climate with the nuance required to intervene precisely when needed. Neuroscientific research on dopaminergic pathways (Gruber et al., 2014) shows that curiosity enhances memory consolidation. Motivational science (Deci & Ryan, 2020) confirms that autonomy, competence, and relatedness predict whether learners persist with difficult tasks. These factors are social first, digital second.

Where AI Falls Short

Pattern Recognition

AI can analyze large sets of data to recognize patterns. However, it cannot understand the why behind pattern deviations or behavior changes. Human educators have a more nuanced understanding of these factors.

Personalization

AI adjusts learning journeys based on progress and activity. Still, it lacks the ability to comprehend a student's deeper purpose. I can adapt my methods based on a student’s lived experiences and goals.

Feedback Timing and Content

AI can evaluate a student's progress, activity levels, and even cognitive development to provide instant hints and feedback. In contrast, I can consider emotional states and personal circumstances, such as a family crisis, and tailor my feedback accordingly.

What I'm Committing To, to Guard the Moat

I've begun to view myself less as a content broadcaster and more as a curiosity catalyst and motivational coach. This shift in perspective is vital in today’s educational landscape.

A Note to Fellow Educators

Fellow educators, if you, like me, feel the ground shifting beneath your pedagogical feet, remember this: Our moat is not content mastery anymore; it’s meaning-making.

AI will continue to improve at rule-bound and pattern-based instruction. What it cannot replicate is the human skill of transforming fleeting interest into sustained inquiry. It also cannot convert ephemeral effort into long-term learning habits.

Maybe AI will reach that level one day. Until then, keep that moat full. Ask better questions, read the room, and remind learners why the journey matters.

Let's strive to ensure that, even in an AI-driven world, the essence of education remains deeply human.