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I have to say, I am exhausted reading article after article positioning AI as the latest “boogeyman,” especially in education.

Emerging technologies have always disrupted society. For those of us old enough to remember the rise of the Internet, the same fears were everywhere: loss of privacy, misinformation, manipulation, exploitation, inequality, and cultural decline. Many of those concerns were valid then, and many are still valid now. Yet society adapted, created guardrails, and learned how to navigate the unknown.

AI is no different.

It is not shocking that some students are using AI to try to get good grades. Students have always looked for shortcuts. That is not new. Entire plagiarism industries were created because of it. The issue is not whether AI exists; the issue is whether educators, policymakers, and leaders are willing to engage it responsibly.

Burying our heads in the sand is not leadership.

If we are not actively shaping AI systems, governance practices, and policies, then someone else will shape them for us, often without our histories, cultures, experiences, or communities in mind. We should be building models that reflect the fullness of human experience and protecting intellectual rigor at the same time.

Teachers, professors, tutors, administrators, and leaders: throwing your hands up and publicly condemning the technology is not moving us forward. Our students deserve more than fear and resistance. They deserve leaders willing to fight for a seat at the table and help position them for the future they are already entering.

We cannot afford to sit this one out.

Looking forward to continuing this conversation at the New Directions in Humanities conference in July in Lisbon, Portugal!

Peace and blessings.

AI & Education