Teachers not only teach us 'how to work' but also teach us 'how to be a human being'.

AI can write essays, prepare lesson plans, grade automatically, and even converse like a teacher. Many people ask: "Can AI replace teachers in the future?" As someone who is attached to both worlds, technology and education , I understand that while AI can help impart knowledge faster and more accurately, there is one thing AI cannot do: teach lessons of the heart.

KNOWLEDGE CAN BE DIGITALIZED, BUT HUMANITY CANNOT

AI can read millions of books, analyze millions of huge data sets and give answers in a split second. But AI has no heart to be moved, no eyes to encourage, and no hand to put on the student's shoulder when he stumbles. No matter how smart a language model is, it can only "understand" emotions through numbers, but cannot "feel" human joy, sadness or regret.

- Ảnh 1. — A good teacher in the AI era is not the one who is best at “communicating knowledge”, but the one who knows how to turn knowledge into inspiration.

In the 2023 Global Education Monitoring Report (GEM Report) and UNESCO's recommendations, a humane message once again resounds: technology is only a supporting tool, but can never replace the warmth of human love and the connection from the heart of a teacher. UNESCO affirms that education must always be human-centered, where emotions, understanding and love become the source of nurturing knowledge. Because the power of emotions that teachers transmit to students is an invisible but lasting energy that can touch the soul, surpassing all numbers or the cold precision of digital information.

LESSONS NOT IN THE LESSON PLAN

I remember when I first entered the profession, I was disappointed when my lectures did not interest students even though I applied many advanced models and technologies such as flipped classroom, blended learning, AI games, or online interactive exercises.

A great teacher once quoted a famous thinker: "A teacher's job is not to stuff knowledge, but to kindle a fire in the soul." That quote made me change the way I teach. I started listening more, encouraging students to ask questions, debate, and even make mistakes. It was in those moments that the classroom became a space of life, not just a place to impart knowledge.

AI can teach students how to program, but only teachers can teach them why we need to write decent code, to serve humans, not to replace them. AI can help students solve equations, but it cannot teach them the lesson of patience, the joy of finding the solution themselves.

Once, a student sent me a message after graduation: "You not only taught me about computers, but also taught me how to be a human in the world of computers." To me, that is the greatest reward that the teaching profession brings, not the numbers on the report card, but the souls that are lit up.

AI - A COMPANION, NOT A REPLACEMENT

In recent reports by McKinsey, experts predict that AI can automate up to 40% of teachers' work, especially in preparing lesson plans, creating exams, building individual study plans, or supporting weak students. That is positive, because technology is helping teachers have more time to do the most important thing: talking, guiding and nurturing students' personalities.

- Ảnh 2. — A math problem can be solved by AI, but a kind human being can only be nurtured by love.

AI is not a rival to teachers. On the contrary, it is a great companion if we know how to use it properly. A good teacher in the AI era is not the best "knowledge transmitter", but the one who knows how to turn knowledge into inspiration, and knows how to lead students to ask questions instead of just receiving answers.

I have seen many students use ChatGPT to write their essays. I do not forbid it, but I require them to clearly write down each command they used and the results of that command in the appendix. And more importantly, ask yourself: "Does AI understand my concerns?". When students learn to doubt and think independently, technology becomes a tool for developing thinking, not a crutch to rely on.

TEACHER, INSPIRING KINDNESS

As a teacher in the digital age, I sometimes wonder: "Am I teaching slower than technology?" But then, every time I enter the classroom and see students' eyes light up when they understand a problem, I realize: no matter how much the world changes, the human heart is still the starting point of all knowledge.

Lessons of the heart do not require smart boards or algorithms. It is when we teach students to thank those who help them, to apologize when they make mistakes, to put the community’s interests above their own. It is when we instill in them the belief that knowledge is only truly meaningful when used for good.

- Ảnh 3. — Technology can teach students to live smartly, but only teachers can teach students to live with heart.

In research on social AI, scientists have found that AI can simulate empathy, but it cannot truly feel it. A machine can say, “I understand you’re sad,” but it cannot experience that sadness with you. In contrast, a teacher, though imperfect, can listen, share, and sometimes just smile to help a student get back up after a failure.

ARTIST TOUCHES THE MIND, BUT THE TEACHER TOUCHES THE HEART

Although my time in university is not long enough, it is enough for me to witness many technologies come and go, but the value of teachers remains eternal. Because teachers not only teach us "how to work", but also teach us "how to be human". A problem can be solved by AI, but a kind person can only be nurtured by love. Each lecture is not just a lesson, but a meeting between two souls, teacher and student. Technology can replicate knowledge, but only humans can replicate kindness.

And perhaps, that is the reason why no matter how far AI advances, it cannot, and should never, replace teachers. Because AI can teach you how to live intelligently, but only teachers can teach you how to live with heart.

Humans learn to become "human"

In the summer of 2025, I was fortunate to join the Department of Science and Technology of Ho Chi Minh City as the main lecturer of the AI training program for students who won awards in the city's academic competitions. These are young and talented faces who can program to create AI products in just a few hours, create image recognition models, or write sophisticated codes in modern programming languages.

Every time I teach a class, I always feel the excitement and aspiration of the young generation. They learn very quickly, grasping technology naturally as if AI has become their second language. But it was also in those conversations that I realized that technology alone is not enough. They need to be guided to understand that AI is not just a tool, but a responsibility. The responsibility to let technology serve people, not make people dependent on it.

I still remember the look in a student's eyes when he asked me: "Teacher, if AI is smarter than humans in the future, do I still need to study?" That question made the whole class silent. I replied: "AI can be better than me in one thing, but it cannot dream, love, or sacrifice like humans. That's why humans need to study, study to become "human".

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thay-co-khong-chi-day-cach-lam-viec-ma-con-day-ta-cach-lam-nguoi-185251114212307304.htm