During my sophomore year of college, I had an internal crisis deciding on my major. I sat down with my academic advisor and professor, who posed two questions for me:
- Have you prayed about it?
- What would you do if you knew you could not fail?
He then connected me with his wife, who became a dear mentor and friend. Our relationship led her to volunteer as the faculty sponsor of the Young Women for America (YWA) chapter at College of the Ozarks.
My relationship with these advisors shaped my educational experience through mentoring and teaching with a depth that Artificial Intelligence (AI) could never replace. Human beings are created in the image of God. And God is communal in nature and the source of all wisdom. While discussing the new challenges and educational possibilities of AI, we must always keep this in perspective.
The word “educate” stems from the Latin word “educare”, which means to lead forth. Parents raise concerns about how their children are being “led forth” in the education system, especially in the age of artificial intelligence. Concerns about student privacy, the increased digital divide in rural America, the spread of false information, and questions about the long-term effects on learning and mental health, are all on their mind. Additionally, educators want to lead students forth in a way that cultivates creative, critical thinkers who can adapt and innovate in the age of AI.
On Tuesday, June 16, 2026, the conversation about AI and education reached the federal level in a Congressional hearing: “The Future of K-12 Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.” Testimonials included Josh Jones, CEO of Quanthub (an AI and data literacy platform), Erin Mote, CEO and Founder of InnovateEDU (a nonprofit catalyzing education transformation), and Cynthia Marten, Delaware Secretary of Education, bringing entrepreneurial, research-based, and state-level policy perspectives to the table.
Jones offered an entrepreneurial perspective, sharing that AI literacy training for students and teachers can greatly enhance learning in the classroom. Quanthub has implemented innovative curriculum strategies providing K-12 students in Alabama with hands-on training beyond the classroom in AI literacy and ethics to prepare them for the workforce of tomorrow. He talked about the benefits of AI in education including instantaneous feedback for teachers, enhanced accommodations for students with learning disabilities, and an increase in face-to-face contact between teachers and students over administrative-related tasks. He suggests that the education system at the federal level needs to implement curriculum and policies at a faster cadence for any hope of keeping up with the rate of technological advancement.
Mote stated that safety is not a drag on progress and highlighted the lack of training in AI safety in nearly half the schools in the U.S. She pointed out the concern of AI indulging students by giving out answers rather than teaching. However, she does not think the solution is digital avoidance, instead advocating for the federal government to support research on the long-term cognitive impacts of AI for more research-based policy and curriculum measures.
Secretary Marten shared the goal of educators for students is to prepare them for the world they are entering tomorrow. She wants students to have the creativity, learning, and critical thinking skills they need to shape AI use thoughtfully and responsibly. She shared the perspective of some of her student constituents, who have no desire to slow down technological progress, rather, to prepare them with what they need to learn and to be competitive in the age of AI.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) addressed concerns stating, “Kids have outsourced critical thinking, have outsourced friendship, and have even outsourced moral advice to AI. [There is] completely unregulated interactions between machines and young children.” He went on to talk about problems arising with AI company motivations of addiction and profit (even at the expense of society) colliding with educators’ goals of educating when using their tools in the classroom.
While there are many opinions on what the best steps moving forward are in policy and curriculum in the age of AI, what is certain is the irreplaceable value and dignity of human beings. Nothing can replace the invaluable spark of creativity and growth that happens with face-to-face contact with another human being.
As image-bearers of God, human beings are relational and creative with the ability to commune with God when “leading forth” the next generation in the way they should go. This must be considered when entering the conversation about the future of education in the age of AI, which is upon us. As the Senate panel concluded: “AI is not coming; it is already here. Learn as much as you can but use it wisely.”
