Why I Would Like AI to Replace My Tasks

 Why I Would Like AI to Replace My Tasks

Janpha Thadphoothon

As an English teacher, a significant portion of my time is spent marking students’ homework—primarily their writing, grammar, and vocabulary usage. These tasks can often feel daunting and time-consuming. I welcome the idea of AI stepping in to handle this part of the job. Replace me. I’m replaceable!

Imagine how much more I could contribute if I were freed from such repetitive work. I could focus on something more creative and impactful—designing lessons that inspire, developing engaging projects, or simply spending more time with students, helping them grow in ways machines never could.

Teaching English, after all, involves a lot of personalized feedback. While I believe my role as a teacher is important, I am not irreplaceable when it comes to routine tasks. AI, with its ability to analyze and assess, could do this job efficiently, leaving me with more time to connect with my students on a deeper level. Replace me. I’m replaceable!

Unfortunately, as much as I would like AI to replace me, this scenario is far from being a reality. The truth is, my students’ handwriting is often difficult for anyone to read, let alone a machine. Their logic also requires human understanding and interpretation. It turns out that, like coders and programmers, nothing can replace a competent teacher. 

I’ve seen this first-hand. When a publisher I know updated their online platforms, relying on programmers assisted by AI, the results were disastrous. The application is full of bugs and somewhat less effective. The human's works —be it in programming or teaching—remain indispensable. 

I’ve been learning Java and a few other programming languages, and I’ve found the process to be incredibly challenging. I often hear people claim that AI will replace programmers, but I can’t help wondering who came up with such a strange opinion. 

My advice to anyone eager to make rash comments about AI replacing humans is this: try doing it yourself first. Don’t just imagine what it’s like or make assumptions if you don’t truly understand what you’re talking about. And if you’re just fueling the hype, well, that’s irresponsible.

On reflection, I shouldn’t deprive my students of the potential benefits they could gain from AI-enhanced learning. But for now, it’s clear that AI still has a long way to go before it can fully replace the intricate work we do as educators.

Janpha Thadphoothon is an assistant professor of ELT at the International College, Dhurakij Pundit University in Bangkok, Thailand. Janpha Thadphoothon also holds a certificate of Generative AI with Large Language Models issued by DeepLearning.AI.