Wealthier parents may pay for human tutors as AI becomes the default for everyone else.

A roundtable convened by the NEU surfaced a sharp equity concern: as AI tools become the dominant home learning resource for families who cannot afford human tutoring, the education gap may widen along a new dimension. Research from Digital Futures for Children and 5Rights provides the evidence base.

By Wistl Newsroom · 12 May 2026 · At Home

A roundtable report published by the National Education Union with Demos on 28 January, examining the emerging impacts of AI on children's education, included a finding that deserves more attention than it has received in coverage of EdTech and equity. One participant noted that parents from more affluent backgrounds may ensure their children continue to access human rather than AI-enabled learning by paying for private tutoring, while students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, whose parents cannot afford human tutors, may increasingly access learning through AI tools rather than human tea