The Future of School Choice Might Just Be Artificial

Graduation season thought experiment: What if, instead of fighting AI in schools, we used it to finally teach better?

All the hand-wringing over AI in the classroom misses the point entirely. As someone who was homeschooled through high school and blazed through my BYU undergrad, I've experienced what customized, accelerated education can look like. So I decided to test whether the critics are right. Does AI really make us dumber?

For one week, I used AI for everything: budgeting, automating Excel tasks, identifying a mysterious lightbulb that looked straight out of the 1940s, creating a personalized scripture study plan, and even designing a personalized Spanish learning curriculum. And that was just Thursday.

The result? AI didn't make me dumber. It gave me a head start.

Take that vintage-looking lightbulb. Normally, I'd Google lightbulbs, scroll through the plethora of options with no idea what I’m looking at before calling my mom. Instead, I snapped a photo, asked AI to identify it, and locate the nearest store carrying a replacement. Ten minutes versus hours of wandering hardware aisles, and I actually learned what watts are. Plus, I had extra time to call my mom and tell her about it. 

Or consider my niece's request for a bedtime story about unicorns. Rather than recycling Cinderella with a horn slapped on, we collaborated with ChatGPT to weave together her cat's name, her obsession with purple, and a gentle lesson about sharing that was completely her own. She didn’t just consume a story. She created one for herself.

The pattern became clear: This isn't about robots replacing humans. It's about removing friction so we can focus on what matters. That's what tools have always done, from the printing press to calculators to Google. Tools reduce what economists call “search costs.” AI helps reduce all the time, energy, and opportunity costs associated with the process of finding a solution, so we can focus on the actual tasks at hand.

Here's the twist: AI doesn’t replace thinking, it demands it. Instead of passively scrolling through generic web results, I had to craft specific questions, evaluate responses, and iterate on ideas. The technology forced me to think harder, not mentally check out. 

This shift toward active, individualized learning isn’t unique to AI—Utah families have been asking for it. During recent school choice debates, one theme has been constant: parents want education tailored to their children’s needs. Yet the demand for customized education exceeds the supply—more than 56% of Utah Fits All applicants didn’t receive funding during the 2024–25 school year. The desire for choice reflects what parents instinctively understand: one-size-fits-all doesn’t fit anyone. AI offers customization at scale.

Before dismissing AI as cheating, consider the alternative. What happens if we don’t use AI? Banning students from this technology puts them behind peers worldwide who are already learning to harness it. Our schools barely teach kids how to do their taxes or change a tire. Let’s not make using AI another thing they’ll have to figure out on their own.

Some educators cling to handwritten assignments because "that's how I learned." But we don't teach with slate boards or ban calculators in math class. Every generation gets better tools. The question is whether we'll teach students to use them wisely.

We don’t have to wonder if AI will change education. It already has. The real challenge is whether we'll prepare students to leverage every available tool at their disposal to create meaningful lives and fulfilling careers.

Try this: Use AI for one week. Approach it like your first Google search. Be curious, experimental, and ready to learn. The technology isn't magic, and it isn’t perfect, but it might just be the breakthrough that unlocks your time and creativity.