Speculative futures of education: utopian and dystopian scenarios envisioned by Chatgpt, Gemini, and Deepseek

Abstract This exploratory study investigates the potential trajectories of education through a unique thought experiment conducted using three artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbots, namely GPT-4o, Gemini 2.0 Flash, and DeepSeek R1. The chatbots were tasked with generating both utopian and dy...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Jessie Ming Sin Wong
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Springer 2025-08-01
Series:Discover Education
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-025-00692-3
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849332507067023360
author Jessie Ming Sin Wong
author_facet Jessie Ming Sin Wong
author_sort Jessie Ming Sin Wong
collection DOAJ
description Abstract This exploratory study investigates the potential trajectories of education through a unique thought experiment conducted using three artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbots, namely GPT-4o, Gemini 2.0 Flash, and DeepSeek R1. The chatbots were tasked with generating both utopian and dystopian scenarios for the future of education, providing a glimpse into how these systems conceptualize key themes such as equity, creativity, and technology integration. A comparative analysis of the scenarios reveals shared trends and critical differences. Utopian visions commonly emphasize equity, collaboration, and sustainability, while dystopian scenarios caution against inequity, control, and the erosion of individuality. Remarkably, AI frequently appears as a central driver of change within these scenarios, reflecting the underlying assumptions embedded in these chatbot systems. This experiment not only highlights recurring patterns in AI-generated futures but also raises critical questions about the potential blind spots, omissions, and biases embedded in such tools. The findings prompt reflection on the value of AI in speculative future thinking and its limitations in capturing the complexities of education. Implications for policymakers, educators, and technologists include the need to critically assess AI’s role in shaping discourse about education and ensure that human values, equity, and sustainability guide future educational frameworks.
format Article
id doaj-art-15ea19e6b7e643c0a7e57e57f0e76f8f
institution Kabale University
issn 2731-5525
language English
publishDate 2025-08-01
publisher Springer
record_format Article
series Discover Education
spelling doaj-art-15ea19e6b7e643c0a7e57e57f0e76f8f2025-08-20T03:46:11ZengSpringerDiscover Education2731-55252025-08-014111910.1007/s44217-025-00692-3Speculative futures of education: utopian and dystopian scenarios envisioned by Chatgpt, Gemini, and DeepseekJessie Ming Sin Wong0School of Education and Languages, Hong Kong Metropolitan UniversityAbstract This exploratory study investigates the potential trajectories of education through a unique thought experiment conducted using three artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbots, namely GPT-4o, Gemini 2.0 Flash, and DeepSeek R1. The chatbots were tasked with generating both utopian and dystopian scenarios for the future of education, providing a glimpse into how these systems conceptualize key themes such as equity, creativity, and technology integration. A comparative analysis of the scenarios reveals shared trends and critical differences. Utopian visions commonly emphasize equity, collaboration, and sustainability, while dystopian scenarios caution against inequity, control, and the erosion of individuality. Remarkably, AI frequently appears as a central driver of change within these scenarios, reflecting the underlying assumptions embedded in these chatbot systems. This experiment not only highlights recurring patterns in AI-generated futures but also raises critical questions about the potential blind spots, omissions, and biases embedded in such tools. The findings prompt reflection on the value of AI in speculative future thinking and its limitations in capturing the complexities of education. Implications for policymakers, educators, and technologists include the need to critically assess AI’s role in shaping discourse about education and ensure that human values, equity, and sustainability guide future educational frameworks.https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-025-00692-3Artificial intelligence (AI)EquityFuture of educationChatbotDeepseek
spellingShingle Jessie Ming Sin Wong
Speculative futures of education: utopian and dystopian scenarios envisioned by Chatgpt, Gemini, and Deepseek
Discover Education
Artificial intelligence (AI)
Equity
Future of education
Chatbot
Deepseek
title Speculative futures of education: utopian and dystopian scenarios envisioned by Chatgpt, Gemini, and Deepseek
title_full Speculative futures of education: utopian and dystopian scenarios envisioned by Chatgpt, Gemini, and Deepseek
title_fullStr Speculative futures of education: utopian and dystopian scenarios envisioned by Chatgpt, Gemini, and Deepseek
title_full_unstemmed Speculative futures of education: utopian and dystopian scenarios envisioned by Chatgpt, Gemini, and Deepseek
title_short Speculative futures of education: utopian and dystopian scenarios envisioned by Chatgpt, Gemini, and Deepseek
title_sort speculative futures of education utopian and dystopian scenarios envisioned by chatgpt gemini and deepseek
topic Artificial intelligence (AI)
Equity
Future of education
Chatbot
Deepseek
url https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-025-00692-3
work_keys_str_mv AT jessiemingsinwong speculativefuturesofeducationutopiananddystopianscenariosenvisionedbychatgptgeminianddeepseek