The irreducible dimension: Toward an integration of automated tutoring and mentoring in AI-supported education

The growing proliferation of GenAI tutors is reshaping hybrid learning from secondary to higher education. This paper examines how new forms of e-tutoring are reconfiguring the distribution of educational roles, distinguishing tutoring from mentoring. As instructional tasks are automated, mentoring gains importance for reflection, motivation, relational support. We propose a framework for AI-tutors promoting digital well-being, arguing education’s relational dimension is irreducible.