The September 10, 2025, Active Teaching Lab explored how artificial intelligence has quietly moved beyond the familiar dialogue box and is increasingly integrated across the tools and platforms we use to teach. It’s no longer just about opening ChatGPT in a new tab\u2014AI is now embedded in Canvas, Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office, and even Google Chrome itself. As David Delgado emphasized throughout the session, this shift requires us to think differently about our role as AI users: we’re becoming project managers of AI teams rather than simply consumers of AI outputs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The implications for education are profound. As AI capabilities accelerate the technology has become increasingly woven into our students’ digital lives. We may (with good reasons) remain uneasy about the growing prevalence of AI in society, let alone in our students\u2019 work. Yet, we have a very real responsibility to learn and use it. The goal isn’t some vague notion of efficiency in teaching. We must learn how to use AI so we can model thoughtful AI integration in our work while helping students develop the critical thinking skills to use these tools wisely. AI will continue advancing whether we engage with it or not. Our students will increasingly use it whether we think it wise or not. Our choice then is this: whether we teach students how to become skilled and wise directors of AI capabilities or leave them to figure it out alone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n