In an era where a doctoral dissertation could theoretically be generated in minutes, educational leaders face a profound dilemma: How do we prioritize the process of learning when the product can be automated?

Lydia Kumar sits down with Dr. Nicole Schilling and Dr. Jason Margolis to dissect the evolving role of Artificial Intelligence in high-stakes education. Approaching the topic through a "critical friends" model, they offer contrasting perspectives on the risks of cognitive atrophy and the potential for AI to serve as a rigorous simulation partner. Together, they explore the nuances of bias, the limitations of rigid policy, and the urgent need to redefine ethical guidelines for the next generation of leaders.

Dr. Dana Riger, UNC’s GenAI Faculty Fellow, discusses shifting from AI policing to values-driven curriculum design and the essential role of human empathy in education.

As AI becomes embedded in nearly every classroom tool, how can schools safeguard privacy, foster digital discernment, and still innovate? In this episode of Kinwise Conversations in AI, Danelle (Danielle) Brostrom, K-12 Educational Technology Coach at Traverse City Area Public Schools and 2025 EDSAFE AI Alliance Women in AI Fellow, joins host Lydia Kumar to unpack this urgent question.

AI ethics researcher Ahmed Boutar joins host Lydia Kumar to discuss why the future of education depends on teaching interpretation, not generation. In this Kinwise Conversations in AI episode, we explore AI alignment, governance, and how K-12 leaders can balance innovation with human oversight, ethical judgment, and transparency.

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Sawsan Jaber, a global educator, equity strategist, and author of Pedagogies of Voice. Dr. Jaber’s work is rooted in her lived experience as the daughter of refugees and her profound belief that classrooms must be healing spaces that nurture student voice and radical love.

North Carolina’s Vera Cubero helped craft some of the nation’s first K-12 AI guidelines. She joins Lydia to share why project-based learning, durable skills, and ongoing teacher PD are essential for human-centered AI adoption, especially in rural and underserved schools.

Educator Tanzania Brown discusses using AI for student affirmation, confronting AI bias, and closing the educational equity gap.

North Carolina’s Vera Cubero helped craft some of the nation’s first K-12 AI guidelines. She joins Lydia to share why project-based learning, durable skills, and ongoing teacher PD are essential for human-centered AI adoption, especially in rural and underserved schools.