Higher education is undergoing a period of rapid change. Notably, technological advancements like AI are changing how people live and learn. With 62% of academic institutions planning to integrate AI in the next two years, it’s a crucial time to discuss where AI helps – and where it shouldn’t try to.
Like any new technology, there are differing opinions, and higher education is no exception. Duolingo’s CEO recently made a bold claim that AI will one day replace teachers, while AI skeptics warn that the technology should be avoided altogether as a threat to the integrity of education. These extremes miss the nuance: the truth lies somewhere in between.
According to Stephen Laster, CEO of Panopto, “Learning is inherently human. AI has a role when it reduces friction for students and faculty – improving findability, time on task, and access – without displacing the relationships where teaching actually happens. The responsible path is to apply AI to well-scoped problems along a defined learning path.”
The answer lies in using AI to create equitable and accessible learning opportunities, while empowering educators to enhance learner-centered experiences. This is the foundational mission that drives Panopto. Panopto features a deep integration with Anthropic’s Claude for Education, and uses AI to support the learning moment, not replace it. Within a defined learning path and institution-curated resources, the platform makes captured lectures and slides easier to find, segment, and review—through accurate captions, semantic search, and concise transcript summaries. The result is that students can study on their own time without losing the guidance and context provided by their instructors.
Education cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach. From accommodating learning differences to meeting the needs of a growing global student population, flexibility is essential. In addition, a new generation of learners are already integrating AI into their studies. In a recent Prosper Insights & Analytics survey, 44% of Gen-Z currently use it regularly.
Of those Gen-Z, 36% are using tools like ChatGPT to clarify concepts. Institutions must provide clear guidelines on how AI should be used responsibly.
“Our obligation is to help people learn,” says Laster. “In practice, that means using AI to segment and summarize materials, improve search, and automate routine preparation – so students invest time where it matters and faculty remain focused on guidance and feedback. The technology should fade into the background of good pedagogy.”
Another challenge institutions face is the generational divide around AI adoption. For instance, in a recent Prosper Insights & Analytics survey, 18% of Gen-Z think agentic AI is a good idea, compared with just 5% of Boomers. Bridging this gap will be critical to ensuring both students and educators are comfortable with AI in the classroom.
When used correctly, AI enhances the student-teacher relationship. With a global shortage of experienced teachers, AI can relieve some pressures without replacing the human element that is central to education. Many of us can point to moments – both in formal classrooms and informal learning environments – where a teacher’s guidance helped shape our development. These experiences cannot be replicated by technology.
In an era of post-capture technology foundational explanations can be delivered asynchronously via interactive, visual and auditory formats that learners prefer to unlock more time for complex, human-driven applications. When educators don’t need to create repetitive content, instructors can focus on honing their strengths in the areas that really matter, like mentorship and guidance. Tools like Panopto enable scalability while preserving the inherently human foundation of education.
Laster remarks, “We are at an inflection point. Used well and within a defined learning path, AI can expand access and clarity – particularly for students who learn visually and auditorily. Tools should support the learning moment, not become it. If it doesn’t recede behind the learning moment, it’s the wrong design.”
