AI Future Symposium
On 7th May 2025, Eötvös Loránd University Faculty of Education and Psychology Institute of Education and San José State University’s Center for Innovation in Applied Education Policy organized a symposium on the future of AI in education, exploring creativity, academic freedom and integrity, assessment, and learning technologies in secondary and tertiary settings in four panels. (The program is available here: https://nevtud.ppk.elte.hu/dstore/document/13306/May7_AI_Program.pdf). The event was supported by the ELTE Digital Education Development Competence Center (NKFIH 2022-1.1.1-KK-2022-00003).
The firs session led by Dr. László Horváth, kicked off by exploring whether AI will fundamentally shift the role of teachers from instructors to facilitators. Experts emphasized that while AI has the potential to act as an adaptive facilitator, teachers must actively engage in this shift, becoming "orchestrators" of learning experiences who strategically manage AI tools alongside traditional resources and human interaction. Concerns about the de-professionalization and deskilling of teaching were also raised. The conversation then moved to the question of whether AI-driven adaptive learning promotes student autonomy or risks creating passive learners. The consensus was that while AI holds immense potential for personalized learning paths and tailored resources, its successful implementation requires strong intrinsic motivation and strategic instruction for learners. Finally, the discussion tackled the critical question of whether AI is a force for educational equity or if it reinforces existing inequalities. The prevailing argument pointed to the likelihood of AI contributing to the digital divide, primarily due to the business ventures behind large language models and generative AI, their often-unknown mechanisms, and the subscription-based access to their most efficient forms.
Dr. Enikő Orsolya Bereczki explored the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and human creativity, particularly within educational contexts. The session examined foundational definitions and dimensions of creativity—including types (e.g., combinatorial, exploratory, transformational), levels (from mini-c to Big-C), and contributing factors like personality, cognitive processes, and environmental influence. Dr. Bereczki presented pressing questions at the AI-creativity intersection: Can AI replace or enhance human creativity? Can AI reliably evaluate creative output? Through interactive polls, case studies, and research findings, she highlighted AI’s potential as both a collaborator and a catalyst—capable of automating routine tasks and supporting idea generation, yet also raising complex concerns around originality, authorship, and dependency. Real-world examples — from AI-generated poetry and visual art to tools like ChatGPT and DALL·E — demonstrated the practical and pedagogical implications of AI-human co-creation. The session concluded with a call for critical, ethically grounded integration of AI in education, emphasizing the need to balance technological innovation with human intuition, emotional depth, and reflective thinking.
The third session focused on the impact of AI on educational assessment, featuring a discussion moderated by Dr. Attila Rausch. Invited representatives from EdTech development teams Case-Solvers and Redmenta engaged in a dialogue with researchers from San Jose University, including Prof. Brent Duckor and Dr. Carrie Holmberg, explored future directions for development and research in this field.
The last round table discussion was about the problems and challenges in the triangle of artificial intelligence, law, and education coordinated by Dr. Zoltán Rónay. The introductory presentation summarised the legal dilemmas that arise with the emergence of artificial intelligence in general - mainly from a legislative perspective. The ensuing discussion continued this topic, highlighting the shortcomings of the available EU directive, the lack of domestic legislation, and the need to develop a culture of legal awareness and empowerment in the use of generative AI. In this context, the discussants highlighted the importance of the role of education, teacher training and pedagogy and the social responsibility of those involved in them.
The symposium was closed by Prof. Brent Duckor, whose closing remarks can be viewed clickinh on the icon.
The AI Future Symposium was the first event of a planned continuous cooperation between ELTE FEP Institute of Education and San José State University’s IAEP Center.