Overview of My Thoughts: AI and SAT Prep
Jaeden Schafer discusses Google's new Gemini-powered feature that provides free, AI-generated SAT practice exams and personalized feedback. The episode explores how this move signals a broader push of AI into education, its potential to democratize test prep, the disruption it may cause to existing education businesses and tutors, and the balance educators and students must strike between using AI as a tool and preserving core learning skills.
What Google announced (feature summary)
- Google (Gemini) will generate full, free SAT practice exams on demand.
- After the test, Gemini reviews results, explains incorrect answers, flags reasoning mistakes, and creates personalized study plans.
- Google is partnering with education companies (e.g., The Princeton Review) to ensure question quality and realism.
- This follows other Gemini education tools: podcast-style audio lessons, lesson-plan generation, and customizable learning materials.
Key takeaways
- Accessibility: Free, unlimited practice exams could remove cost barriers for many students who previously had to buy expensive prep books or pay for repeated practice tests.
- Personalization: AI provides detailed, individualized feedback — not just which questions were wrong, but why a student likely erred and what to study next.
- Realism & quality control: Partnerships with established education providers aim to keep practice content aligned with real test formats.
- Broader strategy: Google is positioning Gemini as a major education platform — good branding and high usage potential.
Benefits
- Greater access to practice materials for low-income students.
- Scalable, individualized study plans and detailed explanations.
- Faster iteration: students can generate new, varied practice tests repeatedly.
- Time-saving for teachers: tools to build lesson plans and audio content.
Concerns and counterpoints
- Dependence: Teachers worry students might over-rely on AI and weaken independent problem-solving or critical thinking.
- Accountability: Human tutors provide motivational accountability that AI may struggle to replace — especially for younger students.
- Business disruption: Test-prep publishers and human tutors could see reduced demand; they may adapt by partnering with AI providers or shifting services.
- Evidence gap: Long-term effects on learning outcomes are not yet well-established; studies are limited.
Host perspective and stance
- Jaeden is broadly optimistic: compares AI’s role in writing to calculators in math — tools that enhance capability rather than replace core skills.
- Strong endorsement for AI use at university and career-preparation levels: students should learn to use AI because workplaces will.
- Believes human tutors will still be valuable primarily for accountability and motivation.
- Predicts legacy business models (prep books, some tutoring) will be disrupted but not instantly eliminated.
Industry impacts
- Publishers (e.g., The Princeton Review): face potential declines in book sales and may need to pivot to services or partnerships with AI platforms.
- Tutoring market: AI can replace some functions (explanations, drills) but human coaches retain value for accountability, customized mentoring, and enforcement.
- EdTech (Khan Academy, etc.): integration of AI features will accelerate personalized learning offerings.
Notable quotes
- “You can just automatically generate this, get a new one every single time — and this is going to be a huge help.”
- “ChatGPT has just become another calculator for text and for writing essays and articles.”
- “Universities should be preparing people for their careers, and their career is going to be using AI for everything.”
Action items / recommendations (for students, educators, and stakeholders)
- Students: Try AI practice tests to supplement study, but use them alongside active problem-solving and human feedback when possible.
- Educators: Integrate AI as an instructional tool, while designing assessments and activities that preserve critical thinking.
- Tutors: Emphasize accountability and mentorship; consider incorporating AI tools to augment services.
- Institutions and publishers: Explore partnerships with AI providers or adapt business models to offer hybrid products.
Links & calls to action mentioned by host
- Host plug: AIbox.ai — a platform offering access to multiple top AI models (Gemini, OpenAI, Claude, etc.) for $20/month; features include multi-model chats and side-by-side response comparisons.
- Host request: leave a rating and review for the podcast to help reach more listeners.
Final thought
Jaeden frames Google’s Gemini SAT tool as an important step toward democratizing test prep and accelerating AI’s integration into education. He urges a pragmatic approach: embrace AI’s benefits while maintaining human roles that promote accountability and deeper learning.