Dominican entrepreneur Chris Corcino, president of Intellisys and cofounder of the Instituto Cincinatus, presented his talk “Crutch or ladder: AI in the classrooms of the developing world” at the TEDx Cumbayá event, held in Quito, Ecuador, last Thursday. In his presentation, Corcino addressed the question of whether artificial intelligence (AI) can close the educational gap or widen it, and proposed that the difference lies in the application methodology.
The “crutch” and the “ladder” of AI
The entrepreneur defined the concept of “cognitive floor” as the set of basic skills—reading, reasoning, and knowledge—that enables students to question and verify the information delivered by AI. “Without a floor, AI is a crutch that atrophies; with guidance, it is the ladder that levels us,” Corcino said.
Impact on the country and the world
According to the presenter, seven out of ten children in developing countries are below the learning threshold, a figure that rises to nine out of ten in the Dominican Republic. The lack of resources, access to educational material, and learning opportunities at home, Corcino said, contribute to most students relying on AI to solve assignments without developing the necessary competencies to evaluate them.
AI as an amplification tool
Corcino explained that technology can boost a student’s abilities when they already possess that “cognitive floor”, but can work in the opposite direction when the learner lacks essential knowledge. “Above the floor, AI amplifies you; below the floor, AI thinks for you,” he summarized.
Practical experience with Socratic tutors
The entrepreneur cited a study of high‑school students where unrestricted access to generative AI initially allowed solving 48 % more problems, but performance dropped by 17 % when the tool was removed. In contrast, when AI was set up as a Socratic tutor that posed questions instead of providing answers, learning increased by 127 % and persisted after the tool was withdrawn.
Corcino’s experience
To illustrate the opportunity gap, Corcino shared his own background: he grew up in a rural Dominican setting, used a computer for the first time at 19, and later moved to New York. He argued that excellence becomes an entry requirement for youth from poor households, while those from higher‑income sectors enjoy an environment that offers more opportunities even to average students.
The talk was received with interest by the international community, which seeks practical solutions to use AI as a tool for educational equity. The presenter concluded that for AI to be an instrument of social mobility, it must be integrated into education in a way that fosters critical thinking and autonomy, not simply replace human effort.
Source credits: robertocavada.com
