AI vs. Time: Who’s Really Winning in Education?
Back when I was leading Elite Academic Academy, a school created to feel completely different from the traditional setup, one thing kept coming up. Families weren’t joining us because of test scores or flexible schedules. They were coming because they wanted something simple but rare. More time. Time with their kids. Time to let learning breathe a little. Time to let their children grow at a pace that felt human.
I’ll never forget a conversation with one mother who sat across from me, holding back tears. Her son had been struggling in a traditional classroom. Not because he wasn’t capable, but because he just needed space. Space to think, to breathe, to learn in a way that actually made sense to him. When she realized she could restructure his day, she looked at me and said, “It feels like I’m getting my son back.” That moment stuck with me.
Now we’re in the middle of a transformative technology shift. AI is showing up in classrooms and homes, and parents are starting to ask the right questions. Is this just another shortcut? Is it really helping, or is it quietly stripping away the meaningful parts of learning? There’s a real concern here. What if we lose the slow, sometimes messy process of figuring things out? What if speed starts to matter more than growth?
The technology itself isn’t the issue. What really matters is how we use the time it frees up. I’ve seen how the right tools can accelerate learning. Something that used to take weeks might click in a few hours when the environment is right. That kind of progress is exciting, but only if we use that time well. Are we cramming in more content just because we can? Or are we giving kids space to be curious, creative, and reflective?
People sometimes ask if AI will replace teachers. I just smile. Nothing replaces a person who looks at a child and says, “You matter. I believe in you.” AI can help lighten the load. The real value is in creating more space for teachers and parents to be fully present for the moments that actually shape a child’s development. That kind of shift will not happen by accident. It takes intention.
Presence still matters. Even as tools get smarter, kids still need what they’ve always needed: time; space; and connection. If we use this moment wisely, AI will not take away childhood. It will help give it back. More time to play. More time around the dinner table. More time to learn in ways that actually stick. More time to do what my daughter is doing in this photo, sledding through the snow, laughing with everything in her and living life the way childhood is meant to feel — free and full and completely hers.
Education has never been about how many hours a kid spends at a desk. It has always been about what those hours are building within them. This is not a story about losing time to machines. It is about what happens when we choose to give time back to what really matters. I hope we choose to spend it well. More time means fewer excuses when the snow is perfect, the sleds are ready, and the people we care about are waiting for us outside.
