SPORT @ DUBAI INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY - EMIRATES HILLS
Best Sport School Award Application
Artificial Intelligence Will Fundamentally Change Education for the Better Over the Next Decade
By Mihail Kouzev, Director of Sport and Physical and Health Education
Dubai International Academy Emirates Hills
Mr. Mihail is a former Olympic athlete and the founding Director of Sport and Physical and Helath Eduatoon at Dubai International Academy, a position he has held since the school’s inception 20 years ago. Under his leadership, DIA has grown into a powerhouse of sporting excellence, culminating but not stopping, with the school receiving the prestigious HH Sheikh Hamdan Order of Merit for Sport in Education in 2023.
Mihail has always stood at the intersection of tradition and innovation. Having championed progressive, student-centred approaches for decades, he now sees the integration of new technologies - not as a disruption - but as a continuation of his lifelong mission: to empower students to move with purpose, compete with passion, and thrive with confidence.
Introduction: The Playing Field Is Changing
The question is no longer if artificial intelligence will shape the future of physical education and sport—but how we choose to lead that transformation. As educators, we face an opportunity. We can resist, delay, or downplay AI’s role in our field—or we can thoughtfully and intentionally design a future where technology supports students to move better, live healthier, and perform at their best.
I firmly believe that AI, used responsibly, will fundamentally change physical education for the better over the next decade. Not by replacing the human touch, but by helping us teach, coach, and connect more effectively.
The Philosophy: PHE With Purpose in the AI Age
The aim isn’t to fill our sports fields with gadgets. It’s to embrace a mindset of curiosity, creativity, and continuous improvement. As PE teachers, we’ve long talked about “meeting students where they are.” AI is the tool that may finally let us do that at scale; offering insights, feedback, and personalisation that was once unimaginable.
Here’s how AI aligns with our evolving purpose of PHE:
1. From One-Size-Fits-All to Personalised PHE
Example:
AI-powered wearables can monitor a student’s heart rate variability, stress levels, sleep quality, and movement data. Imagine being able to evaluate the aspects of a student's health and wellbeing that are otherwise challenging to observe. Moreover, being able to give this kind of information to a student or their parents in order to make them more accountable for healthy choices.
​
Why it matters:
This approach shifts the focus from ranking performance to growing confidence, joy, and physical literacy. It also ensures that every student feels seen and supported in their PHE journey.
.png)
2. Elevating the Role of the PHE Teacher
Example:
AI-based video analysis tools can break down student technique in real time—for example, highlighting issues in running gait, throwing mechanics, or jump landings. A teacher might use this to show a student exactly how their form compares to a model or even how it’s improving over time. In high-performance settings, this same technology is used by elite teams—now it can inform student learning, too. The immense speed at which AI can offer analysis ensures that feedback can be wider spread and more effective.
​
Why it matters:
This doesn’t replace the teacher’s expertise - it amplifies it. It allows for immediate, visual feedback that helps students develop movement accuracy and self-awareness. AI becomes a teaching assistant, not a replacement.
3. Supporting Student Wellbeing
Example:
AI platforms that analyse student participation patterns across weeks or terms might flag students who are silently disengaging—showing reduced effort, frequent absences, or drops in activity levels. Rather than wait for this to manifest in behaviour or academic results, PE teachers could receive subtle alerts that prompt check-ins or conversations with those students.
​
In another case, students might complete digital mood and energy check-ins before class, with AI helping teachers adapt session intensity or offer modifications to support mental wellbeing.
Why it matters:
PE has a crucial role to play in promoting lifelong health. If AI helps us spot early signs of burnout, anxiety, or physical fatigue, it becomes a tool of care, not control.
This Isn’t About Tech for Tech’s Sake
Let’s be clear: this is not about turning PE into a computer lab or replacing movement with monitoring. It’s about using new tools to serve timeless values - engagement, confidence, resilience, and health. Sport and PE have always been data-driven disciplines. Now we just have better ways to collect, interpret, and respond to that data.
A Call for Vision Over Fear
Every generation fears the next technological leap. When heart rate monitors entered PE, many questioned if students would become “obsessed with numbers.” When fitness apps came along, people worried we’d lose the joy of sport. Yet each innovation has, when used wisely, helped us teach better.
​
AI is no different. It’s not a threat, it’s an invitation. And how we respond will shape the next decade of learning and movement.
The Final Whistle
AI will not change Physical and Health Education for the better on its own. But if we lead with purpose, vision, and care, it absolutely can. The future of sport isn’t about swapping sweat for screens - it’s about using insight to unlock potential. The most powerful data in education isn’t digital; it’s human. AI just helps us see it more clearly.
​
So yes - AI will change PHE. But only if we are bold enough to let it, and wise enough to keep students at the centre of every decision.
We don’t fear the future of Sport and PHE, we train for it.
