The opening keynote at this year’s BRILLIANT Festival will see the Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram, and his Education Advisor, Sir Paul Grant, examine the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in education in a discussion to be moderated by the new Chief AI Officer for the Liverpool City Region – and the first regional public sector postholder in the country – Tiffany St James.
This dynamic fireside chat will focus on how to unlock the potential of AI in the classroom but at the same time how to navigate the challenges that its use presents. The interactive session will look at how AI tools are reshaping the educational landscape by empowering teachers, enhancing learning and tackling the pedagogical challenges faced by educators today.
Mayor Rotheram will outline the bold steps taken by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) to connect young people with future skills, education and employment opportunities.
Tiffany St James, who is an award-winning AI and digital strategist with more than two decades experience of technical understanding, will counter this by noting the challenges posed by the technology as the panel seeks to find the right balance for using AI in education.
“My new role speaks to both the scale of the opportunity ahead of us and the responsibility we have to shape artificial intelligence into a force for public good,” said Tiffany St James.
“One of generative AI’s early challenges is the accuracy of responses from Large Language Models (LLMs) and helping to ensure we test and reason effectively with the suggestions provided. AI is of course wider than generative AI and helping schools, teachers and administrators navigate the many opportunities that AI can provide for cost-effective, appropriate provisions is essential.
“However, AI also poses other challenges to education in the medium term, including cognitive offloading whereby a reliance on the technology may limit critical thinking, active recall and deep understanding, especially with core learning processes such as writing and reasoning. We can help to navigate this by ensuring that critical thinking and problem-solving techniques are taught alongside AI.
“We must not lose sight of the fact that AI presents a significant opportunity in education though. It offers new models in personalisation of learning journeys which is intriguing for pupils. For teachers, it can support administrative and repetitive tasks to free their time up for more creativity and interaction. For administrators and school planning, it can model scenarios which help with planning at scale,” she concluded.
BRILLIANT Festival takes place on 11th November at the Exhibition Centre, ACC Liverpool. Its mission is to empower educators, transform education, and equip students with the skills and mindset needed for a brilliant future.
The event is the biggest of its kind in the north. It brings together 1,500+ educators and industry experts, 80+ world-class speakers and 60+ exhibitors across multiple theatres to explore key themes such as AI, future careers, esports and gamification, SEND and inclusive education, ED&I, and much more.
With an agenda packed with CPD opportunities, live demonstrations and networking opportunities, BRILLIANT Festival offers an unmissable opportunity for education professionals to learn, share and be inspired.
It’s also FREE to attend. For more information and to register your place, visit: www.brilliantfestival.com