AI over-personalisation can hinder learning

Digitally driven education promises a future of hyper-personalisation, tailored content, adaptive assessments and AI-generated feedback, offering efficiency and autonomy. But in this drive towards individualisation, are we eroding the very qualities that make learning transformative?

Personalisation has its benefits: it accommodates diverse needs, supports those balancing work and study, and expands access to education. Yet, learning is not a solitary pursuit. Metacognition, the ability to think about one’s own thinking, does not develop in isolation. It requires challenge, interaction and the discomfort of encountering perspectives different from our own.

The illusion of self-sufficiency

Imagine a student with unlimited access to learning resources: recorded lectures, AI tutors and assessments that refine content in real time. This student can learn at their own pace, review materials repeatedly and receive instant feedback. But without dialogue, peer interaction and exposure to diverse viewpoints, are they truly developing the critical skills needed for lifelong learning? No amount of personalised, self-directed learning can replace the messy, unpredictable and socially complex nature of real intellectual development.

In their article “Embodied cognition is not what you think it is”, Andrew D. Wilson and Sabrina Golonka argue that cognition is not just internal processing but an embodied process that emerges through interaction with physical and social environments. From this perspective, a student immersed in fully personalised, technology-mediated learning might appear to be mastering content, but without the situated, bodily and interactive dimensions of cognition, their learning is incomplete.

Education is not just about receiving and processing information but about engaging in dialogue, negotiating meaning and experiencing the world. A student confined to a personalised learning environment may acquire vast theoretical knowledge yet still lack the understanding that comes only through direct participation in real-world, embodied experiences.

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Metacognition and the social brain

Metacognition is often described as “thinking about thinking”, but it extends beyond self-awareness to include the regulation of one’s learning through reflection, feedback and adaptation. Crucially, metacognitive growth does not happen in isolation. Confidence in decision-making and self-regulation is enhanced through social interaction, debate and critical feedback, research suggests.

This is why seminars, peer discussions and face-to-face interactions remain vital. Students develop metacognitive skills by grappling with different viewpoints, experiencing cognitive dissonance and refining their understanding through dialogue. When learning becomes overly personalised – curated by AI, consumed in solitude, and assessed automatically – we strip away these essential opportunities for intellectual friction.

The danger of over-personalisation

Advocates of AI-driven learning argue that platforms can now assess a student’s performance, analyse engagement and adjust content accordingly. But does this lead to deeper learning or merely efficient content consumption?

If algorithms continually reinforce existing preferences and strengths, students may never struggle with unfamiliar material or engage with perspectives that challenge their assumptions. This is particularly concerning in disciplines that require critical thinking, ethical reasoning and the ability to navigate ambiguity. These are skills that cannot be nurtured through passive content delivery.

A hyper-personalised approach can also reinforce inequalities. Students with strong self-regulation skills may thrive in self-directed environments, while those who struggle with motivation or metacognitive awareness may flounder. The assumption that all learners benefit equally from personalised pathways ignores the reality that some need structured guidance, mentoring and social engagement to develop essential skills.

A more reflective approach to technology in learning

Technology should not replace the social and reflective dimensions of learning; it should enhance them. Universities must resist the temptation to equate personalisation with progress and instead prioritise the development of metacognition as a core learning outcome.

We need to foster productive struggle – moments when students wrestle with uncertainty, articulate their reasoning and refine their understanding through discourse. This can be achieved through structured peer feedback, collaborative projects and learning designs that incorporate both individual and collective reflection. Technology can facilitate these experiences, but it should not dictate the entire learning process.

Beyond the machine

Personalised learning has its place, but if we allow it to define education, we risk producing students who are adept at consuming information yet ill-equipped for the intellectual demands of the real world. Learning is not just about acquiring knowledge efficiently; it is about developing the ability to reflect, critique and adapt – skills that require more than an algorithmic response.

If we want to cultivate truly independent thinkers, we need to provide them not just with machines that adjust to their needs, but with opportunities for reflection. The challenge for higher education is not to reject technology but to ensure that it serves, rather than supplants, the reflective and social dimensions of learning.

In the rush towards ever-greater personalisation, we must not lose sight of what makes learning meaningful. It is not just about what we know, but about how we grow – and that requires more than just a machine.

Kathy Charles is the executive dean of learning and teaching at Nottingham Trent University.

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