If you want a glimpse into cutting-edge research on artificial intelligence in education, look to Jing Liu, director of the Center for Educational Data Science and Innovation at the University of Maryland. Two studies released in October offer a striking and enlightening contrast. One hinted that a little AI-powered math practice might help struggling middle schoolers improve their skills. The other found that an AI assistant undermined college students’ engagement and hurt their grades.
In the first experiment, a math practice website called Goblins was rolled out to 6,000 middle schoolers in Deer Valley, Arizona, during the 2025-26 school year. Teachers assigned problems to their students. An AI tutor offered step-by-step help through text chatting, drawing on a virtual whiteboard and even spoken conversation. Teachers were encouraged to use it with struggling students, though some assigned it to their entire classes and others skipped it altogether.