How AI is changing school and learning. Three free books with Repubblica.

Riccarda Gavazzi teaches literature at the Janello Torriani Higher Education Institute in Cremona. She was among the first teachers to use generative artificial intelligence in the classroom, which can create content from a simple question.

It was early 2023, and just a few weeks had passed since the public release of ChatGpt , the world's most popular chatbot. So, the teacher decided to use it, pitting it against her students in a competition to write a story, combining characters and sequences from various works by Italo Calvino .

"The students' stories—though not always consistent with the assignment—were more original, human, knowledgeable, and humorous," explains Gavazzi. "ChatGpt, on the other hand, adhered perfectly to the assignment, using good vocabulary. The story, however, was schematic and lacked any real twists and turns. But the AI ​​wrote its story in 20 seconds; the students worked for two 50-minute modules. The interaction with the AI ​​allowed them to reflect on the "whys" and "hows" of their own writing and "studying." And that's no small feat."

Professor Gavazzi's story is one you can read in the three volumes on artificial intelligence that you'll find free with Repubblica from tomorrow, September 15th, until Wednesday, September 17th . A guide to AI in schools, but not only. The first book, on newsstands tomorrow, focuses on students' use of this technology.

In fact, they are the ones who use chatbots the most in Italy: every month, ChatGpt, for example, is used on average by around 9 million people between the ages of 18 and 74 (in 2023, it was 750,000 and last year, 2.4 million). Among these, the segment of the population that uses it the most is precisely students, at 37%.

The first volume will therefore discuss the most useful AI-based tools for studying. The second , instead, focuses on teachers: how can they use artificial intelligence to create more engaging and effective lessons? What are the applications? And who are the professors in Italy who have already integrated it—and successfully—into their teaching?

There's a school before and after AI . And the reason is very simple: if a tool can complete any task in a few seconds—math, Italian, physics, Greek, art history, any foreign language, and so on—it's impossible to ignore or ban it. Whether we like it or not.

“With the arrival of AI, teachers realized that something important had happened,” says Maria Vittoria Alfieri, Innovation & Digital Education Manager, an expert in schools and digital teaching who has been following the introduction of technologies in education for several years.

"Teachers are realizing the radical transformation underway because their role is now being questioned: if knowledge is easily retrieved and if homework (and therefore teachers' ability to evaluate) can be done by tools like chatbots, does it make sense to continue teaching as it has always been done?"

"AI establishes once and for all that the concepts learned in school are merely tools, fuel for the true goal of education, which is the development of a critical mind. It's no longer time to simply teach answers, but also to understand the important questions to ask," says Roberto Castaldo, a computer science professor at the Istituto Superiore d'Istruzione Secondaria (Isis) Europa Pomigliano D'Arco and one of the promoters of an Italian initiative that is gaining international resonance: the Manifesto of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Schools , which we will discuss in the three books. Among the diverse voices you'll find, there will also be that of a special education teacher who is using artificial intelligence.

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By creating personalized materials (simplified worksheets, concept maps, simplified texts), developing creative activities (interactive storytelling, digital educational games, simulations), and fostering school-family collaboration through accessible content and facilitated communication, AI also becomes an ally in making schools more inclusive .

The third volume , on newsstands September 17, finally bridges the world of education and work: why it's important to understand artificial intelligence if you've finished your studies and are looking for a job; what are the most useful tools to use; and with what results. All this to launch a career path (in any field) in line with market demand. And perhaps with a greater chance of finding a job : several studies show that writing a resume with the help of AI increases the likelihood of being hired by about 3.5 times.