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View all programs Leslie Loble: AI and the future of education
As AI becomes a universal technology – and it will, it will become as universal as electricity – the real question that surrounds it is, are we shaping it? Is it a technology that will be useful? Is it serving the purposes we want? ... It's got to be education first and technology second.
Artificial intelligence and technology are transforming education faster than ever.
In this episode, Professor Leslie Loble AM, chair of the Australian Network for Quality Digital Education, and The Smith Family’s CEO, Doug Taylor, explore its promises and pitfalls. They discuss how AI and edtech could boost learning, personalise support and help scale tutoring – changing how education reaches students.
But there’s a flip side. While AI holds great potential to close learning gaps, it also risks deepening inequality if access and design aren’t carefully managed through policy and practice.
Drawing on real-world examples and sharp, practical insights, Leslie offers a grounded yet optimistic roadmap to ensure this tech revolution benefits all students – not just a lucky few.
"We are at risk of leaving disadvantaged schools and students behind," says Leslie, who spent two decades as Deputy Secretary of the NSW Department of Education and is now Industry Professor at UTS’s Centre for Social Justice & Inclusion. "Already we see better-off households and schools able to take the best tools and use them very effectively."
Conversation highlights
Leslie talks to Doug about:
- [1:36] Her most memorable education moment
- [3:59] The real questions we should be asking about AI, tech and education
- [7:25] The potential benefits for students experiencing disadvantage
- [10:20] The biggest risks – including widening digital inequity
- [15:00] The most important thing we can do to prepare young people for a changing future
- [17:08] What a Digital Equity Learning Guarantee is – and why Australia needs one.
Watch the full conversation below or listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
