Artificial Intelligence (AI) has revolutionized many areas of life, from chatbots that answer questions to algorithms that can draft essays. In education, tools like ChatGPT promise to assist students in learning complex subjects like physics. While AI is impressive, recent studies reveal significant limitations—particularly when it comes to maths, marking, and nuanced understanding. This means that, despite its capabilities, AI cannot replace experienced physics teachers.
At Discover Learning tutors, technology is used to enhance learning—but always alongside expert guidance, human feedback, and rigorous practice.
Marking and Mystery Marks
Moving to marking, the model was asked to score its efforts for the submitted exam efforts. Instead of the F, E, D grades fact on the expectations, the AI was overly optimistic. An error carried over at the grading matrix and nudged the score to reassure. The researchers fed language that distracted the model, and the instant “because the answer aligns, it’ll work B” trick showed students careless mistakes, and missed a “because I forgot a sign” mark. This shows how placeholders of the algorithms swap fuzz patterns that still seem “correct” based on surface neat responses instead of the precise reasoning teachers nagged.
The results? AIs nail the basics, but start sweating when asked to think two steps ahead, solve hard puzzles, or do neat calculations.
Why AIs Crash as Graders: A Quick Dive
Humans Read Between Lines
A key surprise in the study was watching ChatGPT act as a teacher. Researchers had the AI grade its own responses, then stacked the scores next to real teachers’ marks.
Here’s the scoop:
- ChatGPT only matched the teachers about half the time.
- For questions with several parts, the agreement tanked.
- The AI was too generous—handing out high scores to long, floppy responses.
It could handle clear “What is the formula?” answers, but flopped on parts that required reasoning, context, or a clever twist.
The takeaway is clear: grading physics is not just counting the final number. It’s about how messy work is shown, how concepts connect, and how clearly a student can explain. Machines can’t yet catch the tiny signals that tell a real teacher a student is on the right track—just with the wrong label.
Tutors at Discover Learning nail this detail. They don’t just label answers right or wrong. They walk in with “Here’s the formula, but how do you get here? Let’s connect the physics to the math and tighten this up.”
AI as a Calculator: Maths Mistakes Are Common
Physics isn’t just about knowing formulas; it’s about using math the right way. A recent study showed some pretty wild gaps in how well ChatGPT handles numbers.
Here’s what it found, based on 5,000 random math problems:
- Under 50% of the answers were right.
- It nailed the basic adding and subtracting, no surprise there.
- Multiply, divide, and problems that took a few steps often went sideways.
- Mistakes popped up in the “easy” physics questions, too.
This tells us a key danger: kids who ask AI to double-check their answers might feel too safe and trust the wrong numbers when it’s time for homework or studying. In physics, one wrong number can blow up an entire problem, which is why a real human needs to vet the work.
At Discover Learning, tutors walk students through physics ideas and also recheck every single math step to make sure they actually understand, instead of just copying answers from a screen.
Why AI Can’t Take the Place of a Real Teacher
Understanding the Big Picture
Yeah, AI can spit out a formula, a graph, or a step-by-step, but that doesn’t mean the kid actually gets it. Advanced physics demands:
- Piecing together different topics
- Picture problems in a 3-D timeline
- Using a formula that fits the situation
- Tweaking styles for a brand-new problem
An algorithm might sound logical, but still be way wrong in the details. A living teacher spots the slip, rephrases the hard part, and hands out a tip that clicks—every time for each kid.
Getting Students Fired Up
Humans light a spark, nudge thinking, and read vibes—frustration, daydreaming, or that oh-crap-I-get-it! Moment. AI doesn’t feel or see cues like a teacher can. Because of that, it can’t grow the same love for physics.
Discover Learning tutors pour in expertise, high-fives, and lessons that shift with the moment so kids don’t just punch a number but own the why and how of the universe.
When AI Helps—and the Safe Way to Use It
AI isn’t the bad guy; it can pitch in—if you don’t get lazy with it:
- Explain it another way: Stuck on energy transfer? AI offers different pictures of the same idea.
- Drill time: Kids try a new problem, see how a pro algorithm would do it, and decide what to change.
- Last-few-glance: When the test’s tomorrow, AI can snag the key points or re-show the formulas you always forget.
But there are still some dangers:
- Trusting AI’s answers without really getting them.
- Letting AI do the work during tests.
- Thinking AI’s sounding-good answers are always spot-on.
Smart moves for families and schools:
- Look at AI like a study buddy, not someone who does your homework.
- Always double-check formulas with a teacher or favorite tutor.
- Use AI to dig deeper into a topic, not to skip the hard parts.
At Discover Learning, our tutors weave AI into the lessons on purpose, showing students how to use it without letting it steal the learning.
Tips for Parents and Kids
For Parents
- Talk about AI’s misses: Let your kids know it still messes up, especially with numbers or grading.
- Keep an eye on it: Have kids try solving a problem themselves, then ask AI for some hints.
- Value the journey: Stress that getting the work right matters more than just seeing the right answer at the end.
For Students
- Run the math yourself: AI can be off, so do the work to be sure.
- Say “why” with “what”: You should be able to break down why the answer is correct.
- Think of AI as an extra teacher: Have it sum up lessons, but don’t let it write the whole assignment.
These habits teach kids critical thinking, getting it right, and self-trust—stuff AI can’t do for them.
Case Study: The Discover Learning Approach
Discover Learning is all about blending the best of both worlds—awesome human tutors and smart AI:
- First up: Explain concepts really well—Kids dive into physics rules and ideas with a tutor right beside them the whole time.
- Next: Team up with the AI for practice—The AI jumps in with different ways to explain something or dishes out a few extra practice questions.
- Last: Human eyes check the work—Tutors look over answers, fix mistakes, break down misunderstandings, and pat kids on the back when the math is nailed.
Mixing these steps makes sure students walk away with real understanding, sharp reasoning, and the confidence to tackle any problem. AI can’t do that on its own because human brains read the vibe, change up plans on the fly, and remember progress as time rolls on.
The Bottom Line
AI is a really handy tool for studying—just not the whole toolbox, at least not in physics:
- It gets lost on tough math and long, multi-step problems.
- It doesn’t do well with scores that need a human feel, like partial credits.
- It can’t reason like a person, empathize like a person, or teach like a person who knows you really well.
- Real-life teachers are still super important for deep learning, for showing the steps of problem-solving, and for sparking curiosity.
AI can slide in as a helper, not a stand-in. Used the right way, it makes studying smoother and still lets students build the skills, confidence, and understanding that the personal tutor gives in real time.
Discover Learning tutors are living proof of that—using cool tech and smart teaching to get kids ready for physics, or any adventure that comes next.
Key Takeaways
- AI helps teachers, but doesn’t take their place. Human touch still matters.
- Letting AI do math or grading can give weird results. Double-check is a must.
- Only a teacher’s voice can give the right nudge at the right time when a kid is stuck.
- AI works best when teachers tell you how to use it—don’t let it run the whole show.
- Discover Learning tutors weave AI into the lessons so it lifts the work, never does the work.
Conclusion
AI is a valuable educational tool, but it has clear limitations in physics: it struggles with complex maths, cannot reliably grade nuanced answers, and cannot foster true understanding. Human teachers remain essential for developing problem-solving skills, deep comprehension, and academic confidence.At Discover Learning tutors, we combine expert teaching with modern technology, showing students how to use AI responsibly while prioritizing real learning. By guiding students through calculations, marking, and conceptual understanding, we ensure that AI becomes a tool for growth—not a replacement for human expertise.