ABOUT THIS EPISODE
What if the biggest risk in AI and education isn't the technology at all, but the questions we've stopped asking?In this episode of the Edufuturists podcast, Ben and Steve sit down with Laura Knight, former teacher and leader turned AI and digital education consultant, to pull apart what "human-centred AI" actually means when you strip away the marketing gloss.Laura doesn't do easy answers. She talks about the innovation fatigue hitting schools right now, why nobody quite owns AI strategy in most organisations, and why the "personalisation" narrative sold by EdTech might be quietly building a two-speed education system. Ben and Steve push back throughout, including a proper debate on whether education was ever really less competitive than the tech sector in the first place.The conversation covers the teacher recruitment crisis, whether AI tutors are filling genuine gaps or replacing human relationships that matter, and what "joy" in the teaching profession could look like if schools stopped treating change as a race. It closes with quickfire questions that get properly reflective: what myth stops educators from changing, and what you'd actually tell a ten-year-old about why they have to go to school.Laura Knight is a former teacher and school leader who now runs her own consultancy working on digital and AI strategy in education. She works with schools, trusts, and systems around the world, alongside a growing body of work with parents and families. She is currently writing a book for Hachette on helping parents navigate AI and technology, and is soon launching her own podcast, Switched On Parents.We cover:- What a genuinely "human-centred" approach to AI in schools actually looks like- Why innovation fatigue is hitting teachers and leaders so hard right now- Who really owns AI strategy in a school, and why that's often nobody- Whether education was ever less competitive than the tech sector- Why "slice teams" with diverse voices build better innovation than one appointed lead- The problem with AI and "personalisation" as it's currently being sold- What schools and teachers add to the mix when information is a click away- The difference between AI replacing teachers and AI filling genuine capacity gaps- Whether AI can meaningfully help the teacher recruitment and retention crisis- Using AI to build more joy and professional satisfaction into teaching- Advocacy versus evangelism, and why being in the room matters- What today's AI debates might look ridiculous in five years' timeChapters00:00 Highlights00:46 Welcome to the episode01:47 Edufuturists community news (Uprising 2027 & Wolfpack)02:59 Introducing Laura Knight03:59 What "human-centred AI" actually means07:31 Innovation fatigue and the noise around AI in schools10:36 Who actually owns AI strategy in a school?14:30 Education vs EdTech: who's really competition-driven?17:24 Building diverse "slice teams" for real innovation20:00 The truth about AI and personalised learning22:58 What schools add when knowledge is a click away24:18 Replacing teachers vs filling real gaps with AI27:44 Can AI solve the teacher recruitment crisis?29:42 Using AI to bring joy back into teaching32:47 Advocacy, not evangelism: why being in the room matters38:56 What will look ridiculous about AI in five years?42:05 Quickfire Questions45:06 Laura's new book and upcoming podcastFind out more about LauraThanks so much for joining us again for another episode - we appreciate you.
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