There’s a monster at the end of AI…and it might be us.

By: Gabrielle Lue

After co-hosting the first AI K12 Deeper Learning Summit with Anaheim Union High School Dst , 美国加州大学尔湾分校 , and aiEDU.org , we at Digital Promise are reflecting on some of the key topics discussed. This summit brought together more than 700 educators, researchers, and innovators from across the country and multiple countries for a two-day gathering of the minds.

At the summit, Digital Promise team members presented on topics including feedback loops, Research-Practice-Industry Partnerships, how AI may impact the future of teaching, and acceptable use policies involving AI. Though AI's influence in education is widely viewed as inevitable, how can we ensure humans remain in the loop? Shouldn’t we question more often whether a situation actually needs an AI product involved? As Judi Fusco wisely shared during the convening, “I’m on the side of humans.” There is so much collective wisdom within the developing space of AI in education, and this convening allowed us to harness that thought power into truly transformative opportunities that benefit students, educators, and our overall systems.?

One priority of our research team is providing insight into how AI systems are created and how they can function in an education context. During the convening, our team addressed many misconceptions about what AI has the power to do—though many expressed their comfort in knowing it wouldn't take over their jobs just yet. Existing teaching frameworks continue to be vital as we evaluate AI’s implementation in the classroom. As Dr. Jeremy Roschelle noted, “AI is not trained on evidence of how people learn.” So while it might be a tool to support idea generation, it cannot be a tool to assess students’ comprehension. Many attendees at the convening shared similar desires for the field to slow down overall and take the thoughts of education leaders, parents, and students further into account.

The final day of the convening was kicked off by a fireside chat discussion between Anaheim’s superintendent, Michael Matsuda , Rudy Escobar , and Antero Garcia . This conversation inspired many members of the audience (and the title of this article) as Antero brought up a well-known children’s book—The Monster at the End of this Book—narrated in the voice of beloved Grover from Sesame Street. Similar to how Grover warns readers not to turn to the next page for fear of the monster awaiting them, Antero presented on how AI systems are permeating our world…but who is responsible for this? As humans, we warn against the potential benefits and harm that these tools create, while being the very ones who invent and use them. It’s worth a look in the mirror, as humans, to think about our collective actions and what we want the future of learning to look like.

We look forward to continuing to support system leaders and developers as they navigate AI tools in education, and hope the conversations started at the summit lead to ongoing collaboration and advancement of the field, keeping in mind the notable words of Dr. June Ahn : “Technology amplifies what is already there in our humanity.”

Photo credit: AUHSD Communications