In this EdTechnical short, Libby and Owen unpack ‘AI agents’ and what they mean for education. Agents are large language models connected to tools and workflows that are allowed to take actions like searching, summarising, and completing multi-step tasks. Recent progress comes from the combination of stronger models and better systems for connecting agents to external tools, enabling more complex and autonomous outputs.

Applying agents to education brings a tension between flexibility and reliability. Agentic systems can be useful for teachers, who operate across varied contexts and need adaptable support. For students, especially in structured learning, too much flexibility can reduce clarity and introduce inconsistency.

This matters because effective learning depends on structure and progression. The value of agents in education depends on how well they are applied to the specific task and learning goal.

Links:

OpenClaw & Moltbook: The viral story of AI agents building their own Reddit-like social network https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/30/openclaws-ai-assistants-are-now-building-their-own-social-network/
Claude Research Mode: Anthropic's explainer on deep research https://www.anthropic.com/news/research

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Credits: Sarah Myles for production support; Josie Hills for graphic design; Anabel Altenburg for content production.