This chapter explores how AI personal tutors may support student teachers in fostering greater agency in their own professional development while simultaneously enabling their pupils to develop greater autonomy. The concept of teacher agency has been widely debated in the literature, yet challenges remain in its conceptualisation and practical application. This chapter builds on the premise that teachers who possess agency are better equipped to shape educational practices in meaningful ways, actively influencing their professional contexts.

Drawing on the experiences of student teachers, this study examines teacher agency through the lens of generative AI (GAI) personal tutors. The case study acknowledges the ethical, pedagogical, and practical complexities that arise when student teachers engage with GAI in the classroom. These interactions occur within an increasingly diverse and dynamic educational landscape, where technological advancements continue to reshape traditional teaching roles.

Rather than constraining teacher agency, GAI may serve as a tool through which student teachers can experiment with co-constructing learning experiences—both with AI and with their pupils. This chapter extends existing theories of teacher agency to an AI-integrated educational context. It argues that AI personal tutors have the potential to reposition pupils at the heart of their own learning, transforming them from passive recipients of knowledge into active participants in their educational journey.

Keywords: AI, artificial intelligence, technology, education, agency, ITE, teaching.