Artificial Intelligence began as a bold idea in 1955, when John McCarthy and colleagues imagined machines that could learn, reason, and use language. Today, that vision is embedded in education through tutoring systems, analytics tools, automated grading, and virtual assistants. Yet most discussion still fixates on cheating. This keynote argues for a wider lens. The key issue is not misconduct, but what AI reveals about our assumptions around teaching and assessment. In other words: what have we really been measuring? Looking through major learning theories offers insight. Behaviourism highlights why AI excels at predictable tasks. Cognitivism is challenged by AI's ability to generate knowledge. Constructivism positions AI as a support for meaning-making, while connectivism sees it as part of a broader knowledge network. Rather than a threat, AI can be a catalyst for change. It shifts focus from final products to learning processes, from standardisation to personalisation, and from compliance to curiosity and creativity. AI is not just a tool—it marks a pedagogical turning point. The challenge is designing learning environments where it enhances thinking, supports agency, and reshapes assessment into a meaningful reflection of growth.
Luca Longo is an Italian computer scientist specializing in Artificial Intelligence, Deep Learning, Argumentation Theory and Brain-Computer Interfaces, with research in Human performance modelling. He founded the World Conference on Explainable Artificial Intelligence and performs fundamental research in computational models of Cognitive Load. He is a public speaker disseminating technical knowledge to the wider public and contributing to the non-profit organization TED (conference) "ideas worth spreading." Luca is the recipient of the 2023 "AI Person of the Year" award and also the 2016 and 2021 winner of the Teaching Hero Award in Ireland. He inspires students by creating motivating and stimulating learning environments that support the acquisition of skills and the formation of knowledge applicable in practical contexts through mastering the Community of inquiry in Higher education. Longo is also an educator, striving to empower Education using technology and Artificial Intelligence. He is originally Italian and has a bachelor's and master's degree in computer science. He also has masters in Health informatics, Statistics, a doctorate in Artificial Intelligence and a doctorate in Neuroscience, acquired at the University of Dublin, Trinity College. At the Technological University Dublin, he obtained two masters in Pedagogy, one in Scholarship of teaching and learning and one in Applied E-learning.
Groundbreaking technology, forward-thinking strategies, and innovative practices
If you are an organisation that uses assessments or are thinking about using assessments to measure achievement, competency or performance then you will find value in this conference as a vital learning and networking experience.
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