The history of education is marked by technological revolutions that have generated both enthusiasm and resistance. The printing press of the 15th century democratized knowledge but generated fears about the control of information. Calculators in the 1970s raised concerns about the loss of arithmetic skills, while the internet in the 1990s raised doubts about trust in information.
Now, with artificial intelligence (AI), we continue with similar patterns to previous ones, but I believe this transformation will be more profound than the previous ones in education. In just a few months, we have seen an impressive technological evolution from merely experimental to an everyday tool that has radically transformed what we perceived about technology and that will undoubtedly transform, and is already doing so, the teaching-learning process.
 For this transformation to be ethical, pedagogically sound, and truly human, it is essential not to lose sight of a central premise: the teacher is fundamental, and their role becomes even more strategic and complex. Far from being displaced, we educators find ourselves at the center of a new paradigm that demands higher levels of digital literacy and pedagogical sophistication. Continuous training is fundamental when facing a challenge that has come to stay and is advancing impressively. We must be trained to train those who are already in contact with and will use this revolutionary technology in their present and future.
 We cannot abandon our students to a technology they do not always know how to handle adequately. Current students, although they were born with technology, due to their immaturity, lack critical skills to evaluate content generated by AI or recognize when human judgment is irreplaceable. This historical moment demands teachers prepared to guide AI use with solid pedagogical criteria, critical thinking, and clear professional ethics.
 Current teachers must become digital literacy mentors, teaching not only how to use AI tools, but when we should use them and when to question their results, having criteria to discern the artifacts it generates. This requires a fundamental change in the educational role: from information facilitator to learning facilitator and ethical guide.
 AI offers extraordinary possibilities: we can personalize learning paths according to our students’ individual needs, automate repetitive administrative tasks that free up our time, generate content adapted to different learning styles, and provide immediate feedback. We can improve our teaching quality with tools that allow us to free up time from repetitive tasks.
 There are even advanced applications that include intelligent tutoring systems, educational virtual reality environments, and tools that improve student writing.
 However, it carries significant risks when handled irresponsibly. Uncritical and excessive use can foster technological dependency, normalize academic plagiarism, promote superficiality in information processing, and contribute to misinformation. AI systems, trained with data containing biases, can reinforce negative stereotypes and perpetuate systemic inequalities.  The lack of algorithmic transparency creates “black box” problems that perpetuate subtle but significant discrimination. We must transmit and explain these risks to our students so that their judgment matures and becomes critical of the results obtained when working with artificial intelligence.
 Teacher training must be continuous to prepare us for the transformation we are facing. Comprehensive digital literacy is required that teaches not only technical use but also limitations, algorithmic biases, and ethical implications. Here I want to reiterate that peer learning is very important because experiences are exchanged, training where teachers can exchange and share their experiences for dynamic and effective learning.
 I believe that effective training must be multifaceted: fundamental knowledge about AI functioning and machine learning, practical technical competence including content verification, ethical training to appropriately evaluate AI applications, and pedagogical integration that improves without replacing effective teaching practices. And this leads to the teacher needing to be committed and enthusiastic about their work which, initially, may be considered more complicated.
 AI cannot replace teachers; on the contrary, it should amplify the need for well-trained and ethically grounded professionals who help face challenges for students in both physical and mental growth. Teachers have evolved from mere transmitters of information to architects of our students’ learning. Before, we were content experts and now we must also be facilitators of critical thinking. The content is on the internet, but it can be distorted casually or intentionally.
  In recent years, we teachers have become content curators of everything found on the internet, now also of what is generated by AI, teaching to distinguish quality information, verify sources, and think critically about algorithmic limitations. We must be guides in developing “AI literacy,” just as we have been in “digital literacy,” and we will be the bridge between digital and human elements of education.
 Technology without human guidance does not educate; it automates processes. Educating requires accompanying the comprehensive development of our students’ formation, fostering critical thinking, and above all, cultivating and inducing values that transcend the instrumental.
 Humans, and in this case teachers, are irreplaceable; we include emotional intelligence, empathy to understand individual needs, and sensitivity that machines do not possess. We must provide emotional support and motivating personal connection. Teachers excel in contextual understanding, adapting approaches according to subtle signals about student comprehension and emotional state.
  Creative and innovative thinking must require human intuition and the capacity for unexpected connections. We teachers must foster creativity by encouraging risks and providing safe environments for exploration. Moral and ethical reasoning is the area where teacher guidance is essential, helping to develop students’ own moral reasoning capabilities.
 Successful integration requires systematic planning, continuous evaluation, and ethical commitment. It is important that corresponding institutions develop comprehensive AI use policies, investing in technical infrastructure and pedagogical support and teacher training systems.
  Continuous evaluation is essential because these technologies evolve rapidly. Although schools have always been reluctant to change, as indicated at the beginning of the article, change is necessary to adapt to a new unstoppable reality and must remain agile, modifying approaches based on emerging evidence about educational effectiveness.
AI integration represents both a great opportunity and a great responsibility. We need reflective and evidence-based integration that leverages AI capabilities while preserving essentially human aspects of education.
  The teaching role is elevated, not diminished. Educators must become advanced AI users, critical evaluators, and guides to develop necessary skills for our students to face a world where AI will be part of life. The goal is not to create dependent students but human beings capable of working symbiotically with AI, maintaining their own creative, critical, and ethical capabilities.
 The educational future will be a reflective synthesis combining the best of both worlds. This requires educators prepared to lead and ensure that by embracing technological innovation, we do not lose the fundamental human purposes that education serves. The teacher becomes more essential than ever as a guardian of educational values and guide in the complex landscape of an AI-augmented world.
  This article was developed with the support of artificial intelligence tools for the initial structuring and drafting of the content. The ideas, reflections, and conclusions belong to the author, who assumes full responsibility for the final text after its review and editing.