''AI is fundamentally uncaring. It is a language model. It’s not a system that knows and cares about its students. It can be enormously helpful but it needs to be in addition to the support and mentoring of a human teacher. If we can get the balance right, so that the human teacher is at the centre of education with AI acting as a really valuable supplement to that, then I think we have got a powerful combination'' - Prof. Mike Sharples.

In this episode, in conversation with Mike, we unpick some nuanced considerations educators need to be mindful of when planning to use Gen AI technologies for teaching and learning. As Mike suggests 'Gen AI could be treated as a conversational partner who is prone to make mistakes' and as educators we shouldn't forget that the focus 'should always be on good pedagogy'.

Mike Sharples is an Emeritus Professor of Educational Technology at the Open University. He provides consultancy for institutions worldwide including UNESCO, UNICEF, universities and companies.