Artificial Intelligence holds great promise for the educational environment, such as the possibility of personalized learning and more efficient routine tasks for educators. As a result, we can see greater student engagement, higher-quality time between teachers and students, and opportunities to use tools that require less memorization and encourage more creativity and critical thinking.

However, this is not a natural path. It becomes possible only if we have school leaders who view this situation from a systemic perspective. It is true that a single individual cannot bring about change or be what we call a “savior of the nation.” But what, then, is the responsibility of a school leader? 

For any change to be effective, it must be developed based on three pillars: culture (people), processes, and technology. Leaders must assess their context by considering these three aspects and managing the school community—comprising administrators, students, teachers, and parents—by thinking systemically and adjusting the plan according to their available resources.

A personal example: In the past, I was the principal of a school with 1,000 students, and I took over a team that didn’t communicate with them. When we asked the coordinators how many students they spoke with for at least ten minutes during the week, the answer was negligible.

We literally broke down the walls of the administrative office, created surveys, and set a deadline for addressing the students’ concerns. During that time, many questioned the reasons for doing this, given the number of other demands they had that they considered more important. We discovered several interesting stories, and this experience changed the school’s culture and the relationship between students, families, and the school.

To do this, we used a simple technology and process—just an Excel spreadsheet and interviews. And what can we take away from this situation? That you don’t need cutting-edge technology to revolutionize your school. What you need is intentionality.

Today, we are witnessing the emergence of technologies that have the potential to democratize the use of data and the personalization of education in ways we have never been able to before. Even if unintentionally, AI is already having an effect on the three pillars I mentioned earlier and is impacting the pillars of culture and processes.

That is why we need to consciously find a new balance and ask ourselves whether we should teach the same things, whether we should assess students and assign homework in the same way, and how we can adapt to a world where AI is changing the way we interact with one another. School leaders need to be engaged and prepared for the process of change, but they also need to be proactive.

See also:

• Online Gambling: From Literacy to Literacy, Education Can Make a Difference
• Childhood and Adolescence in a Healthy Relationship with Digital Technologies
• Technical education in Brazil faces cultural barriers, but is making progress through new initiatives

To address these issues, certain factors are important as new technologies emerge. The first is to keep in mind the central purpose of a school: to educate students. As an example, I’d like to mention the book *Education for the Age of AI* (a loose translation), published by Charles Fadel, founder of the Center for Curriculum Redesign.

In his view, the term “wisdom” is related to knowledge, skills, character, and meta-learning. In his view, we need an education system that enables students to develop into responsible learners who understand their role in the world and see themselves as individuals capable of repeatedly influencing their reality in a positive and purposeful way. And while technology may impact this process, none of this changes with Artificial Intelligence; in fact, these aspects are reinforced.

Another important factor is to look at the ecosystem and understand what is within the school leader’s control, and to have a clear vision of what the school needs to help promote and achieve its goals.

The third element is ensuring psychological safety for innovation, which means having guidelines developed in collaboration with the community, based on a shared understanding of what is right and wrong. To achieve this, it is important to involve everyone in order to establish agreements that mitigate fears and risks and keep the overall goal in mind.

Finally, it is essential to remember that education continues to place human relationships at its core. School leaders are community agents and must understand where machines come into play, what human roles are, and how these elements connect to foster better relationships. Let us always remember to use AI in a way that enhances our humanity rather than replacing it. Thus, intentionality is key to this process, which is not natural. And “inevitability” should be a word we leave behind.

About the author: