Since AI tools like ChatGPT became publicly available, teachers have been talking about them in the staff room. Usually with a mix of skepticism and curiosity. Usually without any real experience. I teach at a business college (HAK) in Lower Austria and have spent the last two years actually trying out AI in the classroom – not as an experiment, but as part of my daily routine.
What I've learned: AI in the classroom is neither the solution to all problems nor the downfall of education. It's a tool. And like any tool, its value depends on how you use it.
Where AI Actually Saves Time in Teaching
The biggest time drain in teaching isn't the teaching itself – it's everything around it. Creating exams, writing assignment prompts, giving feedback, documenting grades. This is exactly where AI shines.
Generating tasks and tests. I used to spend 30–60 minutes creating a solid exam on a topic. Now I give the AI tool the topic, difficulty level, and class – and have a rough draft in five minutes that I then refine. That's not laziness, that's efficient work.
Scaling individual feedback. 26 students, each with different weaknesses. Addressing each one individually used to be unrealistic. With AI, I can have student responses analyzed and get differentiated feedback that I then review and pass on. The teacher stays in the loop – the AI handles the first pass.
Preparing teaching materials. Simplifying complex topics, finding real-life examples, developing analogies – AI is surprisingly good at this. I regularly use it as a source of inspiration, not as a finished product.
What AI Can't Do in the Classroom
This is where the hype often becomes a problem. AI can't build relationships with students. It can't recognize why a student is unfocused today. It can't handle classroom management or assess whether someone is currently overwhelmed or under-challenged.
AI-generated content often sounds polished and generic. Students notice this faster than you'd think. Anyone who takes AI output and puts it straight into the classroom loses credibility. The material always needs to go through the teacher's filter.
And yes: students use AI to cheat. That's real. But the answer isn't to ban AI – it's to rethink exam formats that have become meaningless because of AI.
AI Tools in the Classroom – My Honest Verdict
- Creating tasks & tests
- Initial feedback on student responses
- Teaching material ideas
- Differentiation for various levels
- Summaries & explanations
- Replacing relationship building
- Classroom management & motivation
- Adopting without review
- Preventing cheating
- Emotional assessment of students
How I Concretely Use AI in My Classroom
I teach computer science and business subjects. AI isn't a topic I just talk about – I demonstrate it. Students should understand how these tools work and where their limits lie. That's media literacy today.
In practice: I regularly have students critically evaluate AI outputs. What's wrong? What's missing? What sounds good but is weak in substance? These exercises are more valuable than any traditional essay – because they train critical thinking, which is essential for survival in an AI world.
For creating exams, I use Tekadio – an app I built myself because no existing tool offered what I needed: fast, customizable quiz generation specifically for teachers.
What Teachers Should Do Now
Don't wait. Students aren't waiting. They're already using AI – with or without permission, with or without guidance. Teachers who don't understand how these tools work right now will lose touch with the reality of their classroom.
This doesn't mean turning everything upside down. It means picking one small area – creating assignments, formulating feedback, researching materials – and starting there. The rest follows naturally.
AI in the classroom works when the teacher sees it as a tool rather than a threat. That sounds simple. But it's the crucial difference between those who benefit from this change and those who merely endure it.