Embracing AI as Essential Learning: Preparing Students for Life Beyond College

Edward Watson. American Association of Colleges and Universities (USA)

Generative AI has rapidly reshaped how we learn, work, think, and create—prompting higher education to rethink its role in this new landscape. In this keynote, Dr. C. Edward Watson, Associate Vice President for Curricular and Pedagogical Innovation at the American Association of Colleges and Universities, explores how institutions can move beyond defensive reactions to AI and instead integrate AI competencies and literacies as essential elements of modern education. Dr. Watson examines both the challenges and opportunities that AI brings to pedagogy and student learning. During the talk, he emphasizes concrete approaches and strategies that higher education can adopt—both within the classroom and across broader curricular structures—to best prepare students for the lives that await them after graduation.

Is Human-Centered Design becoming less Human?

Amy Smith. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA)

Human-centered design (HCD) has long been regarded as the gold standard for incorporating user experience into the design process. In this keynote, Ms. Amy Smith, Founder and Co-Director of MIT D-Lab, revisits this concept in light of emerging technologies and evolving ideas about participation. She explores how designers can move beyond traditional approaches to more deeply engage users—leveraging their knowledge, creativity, and decision-making power throughout the design process. Drawing on research and experiences from MIT D-Lab, Ms. Smith presents a framework for rethinking participation and considers how advances in artificial intelligence, including the use of large language models to simulate human personas, might reshape the practice of human-centered design. The talk invites reflection on how AI can enhance design focused on people's needs without diminishing genuine human involvement and creativity.