Artificial intelligence is forcing a reckoning not just in our schools, but in how we solve the world’s most complex problems. When ChatGPT exploded into public consciousness, the immediate fear that rippled through our institutions was singular: the corruption of process. The specter of students, professionals, and even leaders outsourcing their intellectual labor to a machine seemed to threaten the very foundation of competence and accountability. In response, a predictable arsenal was deployed: detection software, outright bans, and policies hastily drafted to contain the threat. Three years later, a more profound and unsettling truth is emerging. The Empowering Learners AI 2025 global conference (7-10 October 2025) was a fascinating location to observe how academics – albeit mostly white men from the Global North centers that concentrate resources for research – are navigating these troubled waters. The impacts of AI in education matter because, as the OECD’s Stefan Vincent-Lancrin explained: “performance in education …
