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Schoolbot 9000 is the first volume of a graphic-novel series examining the effect of machine learning on education.
Schoolbot 9000: A Graphic Novel by Sam Hepburn. Dial, 2025. 279 pages.
- Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12
- Recommended For: ages 10-15
Robots used to be cool, but now James is sick and tired of them. There are dogbots in the park, delivery bots on the road, and a homebot in his own house, filling in for all the jobs his mom would be doing if she weren’t so busy at her job. Dad would have some wise words about machine dependance—once he advised James to avoid leaning on computer colorization in his artwork—but Dad passed away recently. James finds a creative outlet at school, where Mr. Hendry at school, the second-best art teacher he ever had, and all the other classes are taught by humans.
That is, until City Square Middle School is chosen to participate in a training program for—guess what?—Schoolbot 9000. In a parent-teacher conference that includes many skeptics (James’ mom, unfortunately, not one of them), Schoolbot explains that it’s not meant to replace the human teachers, merely complement them. Backed by money from the developer, the mayor is pushing this project. Principal Kaplan reluctantly gives in, and soon S9K is correcting both students and teachers in the classroom with its superior AI recall. It won’t be long before some of the teachers will be eased out of a job. Students may be learning more, but is it real knowledge or rote facts? Are they achieving or performing? And is this really a brave new world . . . or something else?
Schoolbot 9000 is the first in a graphic-novel series. The narrative presents adult viewpoints as well as children’s, suggests a profit motive behind a lot of educational innovation, and raises the possibility of an emotional Turing test (i.e., What if machines learn to feel human emotions?). As AI becomes a standard resource in middle school and younger, expect to see more authors and illustrators (teachers too?) raising these issues for younger and younger ages. The AI effect on education is something we all need to reckon with, and this series seems poised to ask more thought-provoking questions.
Considerations: none
Bottom Line: An entertaining but penetrating look at the promise and challenge of artificial intelligence in the classroom.
Related Reading From Redeemed Reader
- Reviews: More graphic novel fun: The Cartoonists Club, The Dragon Lord Saga, or Family Style.
- Reviews: More robot fun: Rabbit and Robot (easy reader), The Wild Robot, A Rover’s Story
- Reflection: A Scarecrow Dressed Up: An Educator’s Response to AI-Generated Homework
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