Is AI Eliminating Productive Struggle, and With It… Learning?

In a world where AI can help students at every step, the hardest question may be when not to help. As AI becomes embedded in classrooms, a critical tension emerges: Are we accelerating learning or quietly removing the struggle that makes learning stick? This session explores how “productive struggle” shows up in an AI-assisted learning environment, and where the line lies between meaningful support and cognitive shortcutting.The conversation examines what rigor really means when students have access to instant feedback, hints, and solutions. How do learners build conceptual understanding, perseverance, and metacognition when scaffolds are always within reach? And how can educators and system leaders design instruction that preserves challenge while still leveraging AI to personalize learning and expand access?Bringing together perspectives from learning science, instructional design, classroom practice, and education technology, this session offers a grounded look at how AI can be used intentionally: not to replace thinking, but to deepen it. The focus is on principled design and smart implementation: knowing when to step in, when to step back, and how to ensure AI strengthens - not softens - the learning experience.