Industry Voice: How AI is changing education

AI is an ‘imperative’, says Lenovo’s Marine Rabeyrin

AI is a central topic in education today. Schools are no longer experimenting at the edges; instead, they are adapting to a world where AI use is routine for both teachers and students.

AI sits inside lesson planning tools, assessment systems and classroom platforms, and its influence is growing as employers demand stronger digital and data skills from young people.

Education leaders expect AI to shape how students prepare for work, while policymakers focus on safety, transparency and the need for firm guardrails. These pressures make AI a defining issue in education today, forcing a move from pilots to practical, long‑term strategies that keep pace with rapid change.

In a new interview, Marine Rabeyrin - Education Segment Director for EMEA at Lenovo – speaks about AI’s growing role in the classroom. She sets out a calm, practical view of what schools need to do next, and why the pace of change makes this work urgent rather than optional.

Marine says AI has become an “imperative” for education because of the speed at which the world of work is changing. Employers expect staff to understand AI tools, data, networks and cybersecurity, even if they are not in a technical role. Thus, schools must prepare students for a workplace where digital literacy is a baseline requirement.

She highlights a wide network of stakeholders – not only students and educators, but administrators and researchers – each with different needs.

For teachers, the challenge is confidence: knowing how to teach with as well as about AI. For administrators, the priority is setting a clear vision for responsible adoption, including policies, governance and an understanding of where AI adds value. Researchers, meanwhile, push the limits of what AI can offer, and their work depends on sound data governance.

Marine says Lenovo’s role is not to dictate direction but to support schools throughout their “journey.” Some are still exploring what AI means for them. Others are already running pilots. Lenovo works with both by sharing best practice and helping institutions assess their readiness. This includes tools that help schools measure staff skills, understand gaps and design training plans that build confidence step by step.

One theme runs throughout the conversation: responsibility. Marine stresses that teachers need support to understand privacy, transparency and AI's social impact. She notes that inclusion and diversity must sit at the heart of any school strategy; not as a compliance exercise, but as a foundation for trust.

The full interview explores these issues in more depth and offers a grounded view of how schools can move from uncertainty to clarity. It is a useful watch for IT leaders working with education providers - or anyone interested in how AI adoption is unfolding beyond the enterprise.