Future learning: AI, VR, and the next generation

This episode’s audio was generated using Google’s Notebook LM, based on my own script and research—because I’m still working on loving my English accent.

Alright. Let’s be honest—who here actually enjoyed school?

And I don’t mean the fun of catching up with friends during recess or the satisfaction of acing a test you barely studied for. No, I’m talking about the school experience itself. The endless, monotonous lectures where you fought to stay awake. The textbooks that were about as engaging as a microwave manual. The teachers who delivered their lessons like robots, barely checking if anyone was even following.

For all the technological revolutions we’ve seen in the last century—going from the telegraph to foldable smartphones, from radio to virtual reality, from widespread illiteracy to near-instant access to knowledge—one thing has barely changed: the way we teach.

Education is still stuck somewhere between the 19th and 20th centuries.

But maybe… just maybe… that’s starting to change.

Because today, learning is flirting with science fiction.

We’re talking about metaverse classrooms, where students can attend history lessons by literally walking through ancient Rome in VR. AI-powered tutors that personalize learning, detect student struggles, and correct exercises in real time. Interactive textbooks that aren’t just glorified PDFs but fully immersive, animated learning experiences.

And here’s where things get interesting.

You could see this as a revolution—one that makes learning exciting, engaging, and accessible to everyone, no matter where they are.

Or… you could see it as a dystopian nightmare. An education system where teachers are obsolete, students are processed like data points, and learning is reduced to a series of algorithmic optimizations.

So, is this the future we’ve been waiting for? Or is it just another high-tech illusion?

In this episode, we’re diving deep into this transformation. First, we’ll look at the potential of metaverse education—is it a game-changer or just another expensive gimmick? Then, we’ll explore AI’s role in learning—can a chatbot really replace a teacher? Spoiler: no. But it might be a lot more than just an assistant.

And finally, we’ll push the conversation further. Because despite all these advancements, there are still major gaps in how AI and technology are being used in education. Gaps that, if filled correctly, could genuinely redefine the way we learn.

We could be standing at the edge of the biggest transformation education has ever seen. But whether that transformation is truly progress or just another digital illusion—that’s what we’re here to figure out.

So, grab your coffee, because this episode is not just another predictable discussion about the future of learning.

Welcome to Cappuccino & Croissant. Today, we’re diving into the school of the future.

Learning in the Metaverse: revolution or gimmick?

When people talk about the metaverse in education, there tend to be two reactions. Either you picture an ultra-futuristic, sci-fi-esque classroom where students attend history lessons by walking through ancient Rome in VR, where an astronomy professor takes you on a virtual tour of the solar system, or where frog dissections happen in biology without sacrificing a single amphibian.

Or… you see it as yet another overhyped tech trend. One of those flashy projects that will cost millions, only to end up like interactive whiteboards in schools—underused, forgotten, and gathering dust in the corner of a classroom.

But beyond the fantasy and skepticism, does virtual reality actually have a meaningful role in education?

📌 The promise of the metaverse in education

On paper, VR and augmented reality offer strong arguments for revolutionizing learning.

🔹 Total immersion – We remember things better when we experience them rather than just reading about them. Imagine taking a history class where you can literally walk through ancient Rome, stand on a medieval battlefield, or witness a historical speech as if you were there. That’s way more impactful than a traditional lecture.

🔹 Interactive, experiential learning – No more abstract, dull theoretical explanations. In physics or chemistry, students could see gravity in action on different planets or observe a chemical reaction from inside a molecule.

🔹 Greater accessibility – Students who can’t physically attend school due to health issues or distance could fully immerse themselves in lessons, interact with peers and teachers, and engage in a learning environment that would otherwise be out of reach.

On paper, it’s an exciting idea. A very exciting idea. But in reality? The promise of metaverse-based education runs into some serious challenges.

💥 The harsh reality: why it’s not that simple

💻 1. The widening digital divide

The idea of VR-powered learning is great… for those who can afford it. Let’s be real—equipping every student with a VR headset, motion sensors, and ultra-fast internet isn’t exactly within reach for most schools. Some classrooms still don’t even have enough textbooks for every student. Expecting them to shell out $400+ per student for VR gear? Yeah, that’s not happening anytime soon.

🧠 2. Cognitive overload and mental fatigue

VR is cool, but it’s also exhausting. Imagine spending 5 to 6 hours a day wearing a VR headset. Nobody wants that. Overloading the senses, causing headaches, eye strain, and mental exhaustion—that’s not a sustainable learning model. The human brain needs breaks, variation, and real-world interactions. If students are constantly plugged into artificial environments, there’s a real risk they’ll become detached from reality altogether.

🎮 3. The "EdTech gimmick" problem

Technology alone doesn’t guarantee good education. Right now, many VR-based learning experiences are… cool, but hollow.

🔹 Watching a 3D animation of the human body might look impressive, but without a structured learning framework, students forget the information within minutes.

🔹 Exploring a VR simulation of WWII might feel immersive, but if there’s no deeper discussion behind it, it just becomes entertainment—not education.

The metaverse isn’t a replacement for real teaching. It can enhance learning, but only if used intelligently.

🎯 So, Is It a Revolution or Just Another Gimmick?

If we take a step back, the metaverse does have real educational potential—but only under three conditions:

1️⃣ It has to be a complement, not a replacement.

Education isn’t just about absorbing knowledge—it’s also about human interaction, discussion, and critical thinking. A classroom isn’t just a space for lectures—it’s a space for social learning, collaboration, and debate. If VR just isolates students in virtual bubbles, we’ve missed the point.

2️⃣ It has to be accessible to more than just the elite.

Right now, VR in education is mostly being developed by private companies, which means profitability comes first. If metaverse learning becomes just another luxury for wealthy schools, it will only widen the educational gap instead of closing it.

3️⃣ Pedagogy has to come first.

Technology is a tool—not the end goal. A fancy VR lesson without proper methodology is just another flashy distraction that students will forget in five minutes. So, is the metaverse a game-changer for education? Potentially, yes. But as of today, it’s mostly an experimental concept.

If we want real, meaningful change, we have to move past the “wow factor” and rethink how we actually teach using these tools. And while VR and metaverse-based education aren’t quite ready to revolutionize learning, artificial intelligence already is. Because unlike VR, AI isn’t just waiting in the wings—it’s already changing the way we learn.

AI & Education – from basic chatbots to a real learning revolution?

Alright. Now that we’ve covered the metaverse, let’s move on to the other so-called revolution in education—artificial intelligence. We’re being promised a future where AI makes everything smoother, smarter, more efficient. A learning system that adapts to each student, teachers assisted by ultra-powerful tools, students who never have to wait for an answer again because an AI will always be there, ready to explain anything in seconds. ut in reality… we’re still very, very far from that utopia. Because yes, AI is present in education. But it’s poorly used, poorly designed, and built on an extremely limited vision of learning.

To really understand the current state of AI in education, we need to break it down into three main categories of tools.

1️⃣ AI chatbots – a boosted google, not a teacher

These are the chatbot tutors, designed to answer students’ questions instantly. You type “Explain photosynthesis to me,” and boom—the AI gives you a detailed answer. Sounds great, right? Except… it’s just regurgitating information that already exists online. It’s basically Google with better phrasing, not an actual teacher. It spits out a response, but it doesn’t check whether the student understands it. No nuance. No adaptability. No follow-up. Even worse? It can be completely wrong. AI doesn’t have common sense. It doesn’t know when it’s making mistakes. If it explains an equation with an error in the first line, it won’t correct itself. And that’s dangerous. Because if no one double-checks, the student blindly trusts the AI—and learns something completely incorrect.

2️⃣ Adaptive learning platforms – smart, but not that smart

The second category is adaptive learning systems—platforms like Khan Academy AI, Squirrel AI in China, or Carnegie Learning in the U.S. They analyze student mistakes and adjust the difficulty of exercises accordingly. And yes, that’s a real advancement. But… it’s still deeply flawed. These AI systems can adjust the level of difficulty, but they don’t adjust the teaching approach. They assume that if a student struggles, they just need an easier exercise or a different example. But the reality? Not all learning difficulties come from the level of difficulty itself. A visual learner might not understand a concept if it’s only explained through text.A student with an auditory memory will learn better by hearing explanations than by reading them.A student who struggles with abstract thinking needs concrete analogies. And these AI systems don’t take that into account. They operate under the assumption that all students learn the same way and that simply rewording the explanation will magically make everything click. Whereas a real teacher can see where a student is struggling and adjust their teaching approach accordingly.

3️⃣ AI for teachers – a time-saver, not a revolution

The third category? AI tools designed to assist teachers. Things like automatic exercise generation, automated grading, and AI-powered lesson planning. And yeah—that’s useful. It saves time. But… it’s not revolutionary. It’s just automation. It streamlines tasks, but it doesn’t change how we teach. And that’s the real issue. Right now, AI in education is purely about optimization. We’ve taken the same outdated teaching methods and made them a little more efficient, a little faster, a little more interactive. But we haven’t actually rethought education itself. Because current AI systems aren’t designed to be educators—they’re designed to be correctors.

The Real Difference Between AI and a Good Teacher

A good teacher doesn’t just give answers. They ask questions. They spot hidden struggles. They tweak their explanations based on the student in front of them. They can tell when a student is pretending to understand just to avoid looking stupid. They know when to push harder, when to change the approach, when to reassure instead of just assigning more exercises.

AI, on the other hand? It doesn’t see when a student is about to disengage.It doesn’t recognize stress, frustration, or boredom.It doesn’t notice when a student hesitates to ask a question out of fear of being judged. And that’s why, no matter how advanced AI gets, it’s fundamentally limited. We keep hearing that AI will “replace” teachers—but in reality, it doesn’t even do 10% of what a real educator does. Yes, AI can generate exercises.Yes, AI can correct mistakes.Yes, AI can explain concepts in simpler terms. But it doesn’t motivate.It doesn’t provide emotional support.It doesn’t push students to think critically.It doesn’t guide them toward independent reasoning. So is AI useful? Absolutely. But for now, it’s far from being a revolution.

But what if AI could be more than just a corrector?

And yet… the potential is massive. Because what if we stopped seeing AI as just a correction tool—and started designing it as a true educational assistant? That’s when we could actually start transforming education. But to get there? We need to think bigger. And luckily for us, in the next segment, we’re doing exactly that. We’re going to explore what AI could really bring to learning—if it was used the right way.

The AI innovations that could actually change everything

Alright. Now that we’ve dissected everything wrong with AI in education today, let’s get to the interesting part—what could actually change the game. Because if we stop treating AI as just a basic optimization tool and start fully integrating it into education, we could finally drag this outdated system into the modern era.

1️⃣ The real game-changer: a fully adaptive AI tutor

Right now, so-called "intelligent" learning platforms adjust exercise difficulty based on student mistakes. That’s nice… but it’s not enough. What we really need is an AI that adapts not just to skill level, but to the way each student learns. Imagine an AI that detects whether you’re a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learner—and adjusts its teaching style accordingly. An AI that recognizes signs of stress or cognitive overload and slows down or switches approaches instead of just spitting out endless exercises. And most importantly—an AI that moves beyond text. Right now, 90% of digital learning is just text-based content.

But a truly innovative AI would combine voice, images, animations, hands-on interactions, and video to transform lessons into fully immersive, natural learning experiences. Because learning isn’t just reading definitions and taking quizzes. It’s about deep understanding, interaction, and engaging with information in different ways—something AI could finally help with.

2️⃣ Teaching essential human skills—not just facts

Another major gap in today’s education system? We memorize facts. We cram for tests. We practice formulas. But we’re not taught how to communicate, how to argue, how to convince. Imagine an AI-powered public speaking coach. A tool that analyzes your voice, intonation, pacing, and body language—and gives precise feedback to improve your speaking skills. An AI that trains you in debates, challenges you with counterarguments, simulates negotiations, interviews, real-world discussions. Because being able to express yourself clearly and confidently is just as important as solving an equation.

3️⃣ Reinventing learning materials—from static to dynamic

Right now, education still relies on traditional textbooks—static, rigid, filled with text and a few images. But why not have AI-powered interactive books that turn every subject into a living experience? Imagine an AI that automatically highlights key concepts, generates intelligent quizzes based on your mistakes, and transforms any lesson into an immersive scenario where you experience history instead of just reading about it. A textbook that actually teaches you actively—not just a PDF disguised as an app. And beyond traditional classrooms, AI could make education accessible to those who’ve never had it.

4️⃣ Bringing education to the unreachable

Right now, millions of children worldwide have no access to schools, teachers, or educational infrastructure. So why aren’t we developing low-tech AI-powered education tools that work without the internet, on basic devices, through SMS or radio? An AI that translates content into local dialects, that doesn’t just push Western-designed lessons, but adapts to different cultures and regional needs. We could literally create virtual schools in places that have never had physical ones.

5️⃣ Gamifying education—because learning shouldn’t feel like a chore

Let’s be honest. Traditional education is repetitive, tedious, and overly academic. Meanwhile, we know that people retain information better when they’re actually engaged.

So why hasn’t AI been used to fully gamify learning? Imagine an AI that dynamically generates personalized educational quests—a system that turns every subject into an interactive game, where you level up, gain skills, and progress based on your strengths and weaknesses. Because the current education system kills engagement—while video games have long since figured out how to keep people immersed for hours. So why not combine the two? Imagine a system where each student follows a unique path, with challenges designed specifically for them, adaptive learning quests, and an interactive progression system that makes learning addictive instead of exhausting.

6️⃣ Revolutionizing teacher training—because education isn’t just about students

We always focus on how students learn. But who’s training teachers to use new learning methods? AI could analyze real-time classroom engagement, identify when students are zoning out, and suggest teaching adjustments based on class dynamics. It could generate interactive lesson plans in seconds, create simulations, and provide personalized professional development—so teachers never get left behind in the rapid evolution of education.

So, what’s next?

Education has never been closer to a major technological breakthrough. But the real question is: Will we actually take the leap? Or will we spend years slapping high-tech bandaids onto an already outdated system? And more importantly:

— Are these advancements truly improving learning? Or are we just turning education into another algorithm-optimized product? Because at some point, we have to ask

— If we integrate AI into every aspect of learning, do we risk losing the one thing that makes education truly powerful?

The human connection. And maybe, that’s the biggest question of all.

What skills will define the future of learning?

We’ve talked about the metaverse, AI, and all these technologies that could revolutionize education. But now, we need to ask a more fundamental question: what do we actually want to learn in the future? Because education isn’t just about tools. Just because we have hyper-efficient AI and immersive simulators, doesn’t necessarily mean we’re learning better. And if we take a step back, there’s a very real danger looming over the future of learning: are we trading core academic foundations for pure tech skills? Because looking at the current trends, it kind of seems like we are.

1️⃣ Are we replacing critical thinking with tech skills?

More and more schools are reducing or removing subjects considered "less useful" to make space for digital skills. Less literature, less philosophy, less humanities. More coding, more data science, more digital training. On paper, it makes sense. We live in a world where technology dominates everything, and knowing how to code can clearly open doors.

But here’s the issue: if we only focus on technical skills, we risk completely eroding critical thinking and independent reasoning. Because technology is just a tool. It evolves, changes, becomes obsolete. A programming language that’s essential today might be irrelevant in five years. But fundamental human skills? They’re timeless. Knowing how to analyze information, structure ideas, argue logically, take a step back—these skills never expire. Yet, they’re being pushed aside. When in reality, human knowledge and digital skills shouldn’t be in competition.

2️⃣ The future of education needs to teach more than just “using” tech

The school of the future shouldn’t just teach students how to use tools. It should teach them how to question those tools, understand their limits, and not become completely dependent on them. Otherwise, we’re going to produce generations that can operate AI—but have no idea how it actually works or what its implications are. And that? That’s dangerous.

3️⃣ The three skills that will be essential for future generations

🔹 Critical thinking: we live in an era of information overload—constant exposure to news, opinions, and biases. The problem? Most people aren’t prepared to separate truth from manipulation. When AI can generate articles in seconds, when fake news spreads faster than verified facts, questioning information, analyzing sources, and recognizing bias becomes a survival skill. And we cannot rely on technology alone to do that for us. If we don’t teach students how to ask the right questions, fact-check, and apply skepticism, we’re setting them up to be easily manipulated.

🔹 Adaptability: the world is evolving at a speed we’ve never seen before. Ten years ago, blockchain-related jobs or AI ethics careers didn’t even exist. Ten years from now, we’ll have professions we can’t even imagine today. That means learning a single, rigid skillset is no longer enough. What will matter more is the ability to evolve, self-educate, and continuously adapt. Being able to find and process new information, being curious, flexible, and willing to learn—that will be more valuable than any specific technical certification. And for that to happen, education needs to stop treating students like passive consumers of a fixed curriculum and start fostering intellectual autonomy.

🔹 Independent thinking: the biggest risk of AI in education isn’t that it will be misused.

It’s that it might replace too much. If students have an AI that instantly answers all their questions,If students have AI-generated homework that does all the thinking for them,If students are trained to rely on AI instead of forming their own reasoning

— Are they still developing real cognitive skills?

— Or are we raising a generation that can’t think critically without technological assistance?

That’s the real concern. AI can be an incredible tool to accelerate learning, but it should never replace the learning process itself. There needs to be a balance between using AI to enhance education and not destroying the ability to think independently. And right now, we haven’t found that balance.

4️⃣ The real question: are we preparing for the future or just creating over-reliant students?

If the school of the future is just about putting students in front of screens with AI spitting out pre-formatted knowledge, then we’ve already missed the point. Because education isn’t just about absorbing information. It’s about understanding the world, developing critical perspectives, and being able to evolve in an unpredictable environment. And no AI will ever do that for us.

So, the real question is: are we designing an education system that truly prepares students for the future? Or are we just producing hyper-efficient, AI-reliant individuals who struggle to function without technology? And if it’s the second option… What are we going to do about it?

Conclusion – AI + the Metaverse: are we ready for the future of education?

Alright. We've just explored a massive shift in what education could look like in the coming years. Metaverse classrooms, AI-powered tutors, interactive learning, gamification, virtual professors… On paper, it all sounds like a dream. A more immersive, personalized, and efficient way to learn. A system that adapts to students instead of forcing students to adapt to it. A world where knowledge is universally accessible, breaking down barriers and inequalities.

But… behind these innovations, there’s also a massive risk. Because in our rush to optimize education, we might end up diminishing it. We might forget that learning isn’t just about transferring information. That education is also about human exchange, critical thinking, doubt, failure, and discussion. And no AI, no metaverse, no amount of high-tech learning tools can ever replace that.

So the real question is this: do we want education to become a game? A purely immersive experience? Or do we want it to remain a space where we learn how to think, how to understand, how to evolve as humans?

Because technology can be an incredible tool. But it’s up to us to decide how we use it.

If we just inject digital elements into everything without thinking critically, we’ll strip education of what makes it essential. But if we use these advances intelligently—to make learning more engaging, more accessible, and ultimately more human—then we might actually change the game.

So… are we ready for the future of education? Or rather: are we ready to decide what we truly want it to be? That’s where I need you.

📢 Your opinion matters: what do you think about these changes? Does this future excite you, or does it feel unsettling? Are we heading toward a more efficient system, or one that’s losing its soul?

💡 Continue the conversation on social media—I want to hear your thoughts, your concerns, and your experiences.

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Thank you for listening, take care… and most importantly, stay curious. See you soon on Cappuccino & Croissant. 🎙️☕