Webinar – Panel Discussion: Promise and Perils of AI in Education, Thursday, August 28

Big tech is making massive investments in education through institutional partnerships, increased funding, and launching new initiatives to expand the adoption of AI and other digital tools in classrooms. Governments and educational institutions are partnering with tech companies to introduce AI into schools and universities, with the purported goal of preparing students for the future workforce.

The accelerated adoption of AI & digital technologies with little or no oversight as well as lack of transparency in the usage of collected information has led to a data privacy challenge. This rapid expansion has also been met with concerns from educators who believe overreliance on AI technologies undermines teaching objectives and can diminish the learner’s critical thinking skills.

Experts say that laws crafted without input from educators, administrators, parents, and students often fail to address these and other emerging issues. The backlash against negative impact of AI on learners has included educators resisting the use of AI in classrooms and education departments blocking access to Generative AI tools like ChatGPT, amidst concerns about safety and accuracy of AI-generated content.

Join us on Thursday, August 28 at 11a ET for a timely and relevant discussion with experts on the promise and pitfalls of usage of AI and digital tools in education.

Speaker/s Profile:

Amelia Vance is a globally recognized expert in child and student privacy, is president of the Public Interest Privacy Center, an organization that equips stakeholders with the insights, training, and tools needed to cultivate effective, ethical, and equitable privacy safeguards for all children and students. PIPC staffs the new Student & Child Privacy Center at AASA, the School Superintendents Association. Amelia is also an adjunct professor at William & Mary Law School, the co-chair of the Federal Education Privacy Coalition, and the founder of Public Interest Privacy Consulting, LLC.

Amelia is a regular speaker at privacy and education conferences in the U.S. and abroad, has testified before Congress and several state legislatures, and has presented at events hosted by the U.S. Department of Education and the Federal Trade Commission. She currently serves on the Maryland Student Data Privacy Council. Amelia has published several resources on child and student privacy and is regularly cited in the press.

Read more about Amelia’s work on LinkedIn.

 Munenyashaishe (Ishe) Hove is a Data Scientist and AI Researcher with a deep commitment to building ethical, transparent, and socially responsible technology. Originally trained in Accounting & Finance, she transitioned into AI through rigorous self-directed learning and global fellowships such as the Women Techsters Fellowship and WorldQuant University. Her work sits at the intersection of machine learning, public interest technology, and algorithmic accountability.

Ishe has explored both technical and human-centered domains—from applying AI to dynamic particle motion systems, to researching how algorithmic systems impact people in public services, especially in low-resource and marginalized contexts. Ishe believes that AI must serve people, not just problems. That’s why she advocates transparency, community participation, and justice at every stage of the AI lifecycle. She is also the founder of the Data Science & AI Community Hub – Botswana, a platform dedicated to mentoring aspiring African data scientists and advancing STEM education for women and girls.

Read more about Ishe’s work on LinkedIn.

Links & Resources:

• https://openletter.earth/an-open-letter-from-educators-who-refuse-the-call-to-adopt-genai-in-education-cb4aee75?limit=0
• https://www.nannainie.com/_files/ugd/cf986a_96612c9ab2bb4864be2bbbf3b73f416b.pdf
• https://www.unicef.org/innocenti/stories/when-schools-rush-innovate
• https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2023/1/3/23537987/nyc-schools-ban-chatgpt-writing-artificial-intelligence/
• https://www.bestcolleges.com/news/schools-colleges-banned-chat-gpt-similar-ai-tools/#schoolswithdrawn
• https://thescreentimeconsultant.com/resources/blog/a-rude-and-necessary-awakening-what-a-recent-ftc-amicus-brief-means-for-edtech-and-what-parents-and-schools-need-to-know