Italian illustrator Claudia Manola, known professionally as artoodolss, explores the growing influence of artificial intelligence in education through a bold editorial illustration that asks a simple but important question: is AI helping students learn, or quietly reshaping the way they think?
Created as part of an illustration course focused on editorial work, the project reflects on how artificial intelligence is increasingly present in classrooms and everyday learning environments. While AI tools can offer fast access to information, Manola’s illustration suggests that unquestioned reliance on these systems could also carry risks.
“AI can be a powerful educational tool,” she explains, “but only if students are taught to question it. In schools it should support curiosity and critical thinking, not replace them.”
The illustration presents a slightly surreal classroom scene. A child sits at a school desk during an anatomy lesson, while the teacher standing at the front of the class is a robot representing artificial intelligence. On the chalkboard behind it are anatomical drawings that appear slightly wrong: a face with eyes, nose and mouth positioned incorrectly. A similar mistake appears in a drawing of a house pinned to the classroom wall.
The details suggest that the child has absorbed the flawed information provided by the robotic teacher, raising questions about how easily incorrect knowledge can spread when information is accepted without deeper investigation.
Through this narrative scene, Manola highlights the importance of teaching students to engage critically with technology rather than treating it as an unquestionable authority.
The visual style draws heavily from Ligne Claire, the classic illustration approach known for its clean outlines and strong graphic clarity. Manola combines this structure with bold, vibrant colours that reinforce the playful yet slightly unsettling tone of the scene.
The work was created digitally to accompany an editorial article designed for web publication. During its development, Manola was guided by illustrator Sofia Romagnolo, whose course encouraged students to explore how illustration can comment on contemporary cultural issues.
Claudia Manola is an Italian illustrator born in 2000. She graduated in Graphic Design & Art Direction from NABA in Milan in 2022 and now works as both a graphic designer and illustrator. Her work often depicts everyday moments, people and small overlooked details with a subtle sense of irony, combining bold colour palettes with a vintage-inspired aesthetic.
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