Teachers Are Using AI More Than Ever. Why the Human Side Still Matters Most

AI keeps coming up in staff room conversations this autumn. One teacher is using it to plan lessons, another is unsure whether to trust it, and a third is quietly wondering whether they are the only one who has had no training.

The figures help explain why. According to the Bett UK report on the state of AI in education, "80% of UK teachers now use AI in their work, with weekly usage doubling in the last year." That is a big change in a single year. The same report also finds that "Only 35% of AI users say they're working fewer hours, despite over half saying AI has eased their workload." So while many teachers say the work feels easier, that does not necessarily mean they are working fewer hours.

Confidence has not kept pace with use. As the report puts it, "Teacher confidence is cooling, with only 47% expecting to increase their AI use next year, down from 68% a year ago." The training figures help explain some of that: "41% of teachers have received no AI training from their school." If schools want teachers to use AI well, they need to give them the support to do it. Leaving people to figure it out for themselves is asking too much.

Oxford University Press found a similar picture in its June 2026 research, summarised by Computing at School. The summary says that "Many educators are experimenting with AI but lack confidence about best practice." It also notes that "Teachers consistently highlight concerns about accuracy, bias and over-reliance on AI-generated content." These are reasonable questions from professionals who want to get things right for their students.

This is where a teacher's emotional insight matters. A chatbot can draft a worksheet in seconds, but it cannot sit beside a nervous student. As the same Computing at School summary explains, AI "cannot build trust, inspire confidence or recognise when a learner needs emotional support." Teachers do that work every day, often without much recognition. An education blog from the Enterprise Incubator Foundation puts it plainly: "AI sees patterns; teachers see people."

What, then, should schools and the people responsible for professional development be doing?

First, give teachers the final say. The Computing at School summary states that "AI works best when teachers remain firmly in control." Teachers should choose when to use it, check what it produces and be able to say no when it does not suit their class.

Second, make training practical and keep it going. When 41% of teachers have had no AI training from their school, a single one-hour session is not going to close the gap.

Third, teach students enough about AI to make informed choices about using it. As the Oxford University Press research says, "Helping students become informed users of AI could become as important as teaching online safety." That is something to teach in every subject, not only computing.

International bodies are making a similar point. UNESCO's work on the futures of learning says it "will address both the human and technological dimensions related to AI and the futures of learning." The OECD Digital Education Outlook 2026 also states that "While highlighting the opportunities and benefits of generative AI, the report also notes key challenges and concerns." Schools can explore the opportunities and still be careful about how they use the technology.

For anyone building a career in education, that is encouraging. Learning to use AI well makes professional sense. As the tools improve, though, your empathy, judgement and ability to read a room will matter even more. Those are the qualities that help you understand the student in front of you, and they are what will set you apart.

References

Bett UK, in partnership with Lenovo (research by Working it out). State of AI in Education, 2026. https://uk.bettshow.com/reports-and-whitepapers/state-of-ai-in-education

Computing at School (BCS). What teachers really think about AI: five key takeaways from Oxford University Press's new research, 9 June 2026. https://www.computingatschool.org.uk/forum-news-blogs/2026/june/what-teachers-really-think-about-ai-five-key-takeaways-from-oxford-university-press-s-new-research/

Enterprise Incubator Foundation. Teachers vs AI: Why the Combination of Human Educators and Artificial Intelligence Is the Future of Student Learning, 5 February 2026. https://blog.eif.am/teachers-vs-ai/

UNESCO. Artificial intelligence and the Futures of Learning, updated 24 October 2024. https://www.unesco.org/en/digital-education/ai-future-learning

OECD. OECD Digital Education Outlook 2026: Exploring Effective Uses of Generative AI in Education, 19 January 2026. https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/oecd-digital-education-outlook-2026_062a7394-en.html