Artificial Intelligence Cannot Yet Replace the Role of Teachers

Former Minister of Education and Culture Anies Baswedan believes that artificial intelligence (AI) technology cannot yet replace the role of teachers in education. Teachers, he said, continue to function in instilling ethics and morals in students.

“AI cannot provide morals. Superman has great power. If he lacks morals, it can be used for evil,” Anies stated while speaking at a seminar titled Integrity, Character, Competence, and Technology in Indonesian Education at Paramadina University, East Jakarta, on Wednesday, 6 May 2026.

Anies said the role of teachers has changed with technological developments. Previously, teachers were the main source of knowledge; now, students can easily access information independently. “Mechanistic teachers will be left behind,” said the former Rector of Paramadina University.

Nevertheless, he emphasised that teachers still hold an important role in teaching values of goodness and guiding students in using technology appropriately. He urged teachers to actively accompany students so that technology is used for the right purposes.

According to Anies, old approaches to education, such as scolding students, are no longer relevant. Teachers need to find new, more effective techniques in shaping character.

He then exemplified educational practices in the United States. There, teachers have the authority to check the search history on students’ devices. He recounted a student caught accessing a pornography site and claiming it was only for 10 minutes. “The teacher then said ‘oh well’,” Anies said.

The next day, the student received a lunch box from the canteen. However, he refused to eat it because it smelled unpleasant. The teacher then explained that the food had been mixed with a little cat faeces.

Through that illustration, Anies wanted to show that even the smallest violation can damage the overall value. “Remember, just because it’s a little, it ruins everything. The same with your mind. If you allow 10 minutes, it ruins the entire structure of your thinking,” he said.

He assessed that such an approach reflects new educational methods. Teachers, he said, need to apply two strategies: isolation and immunisation. In the case of students accessing pornographic content, schools can implement isolation by blocking the site. However, this method is deemed not sustainable enough. Therefore, an immunisation approach is needed through character education with more adaptive teaching methods.

Anies attended the seminar organised by Paramadina University together with a number of teachers and students from various schools in Jakarta and Bekasi.