AI in education: from hype to a firm footing
A look back at my keynote at Almere Tech #30 – organised by WonderBit in De Nieuwe Bibliotheek Almere
From hype to a firm footing
In recent months AI has become an inescapable part of our conversations, our courses and our policy tables. But between enthusiasm and uncertainty lies an important question: how do we turn that AI hype into something that really helps us in education, government and society?
At Almere Tech #30 I had the chance to share my vision on this: “AI in education – from hype to a firm footing.”
An inspiring evening, with a full house, sharp questions and great conversations about what responsibly applied AI can mean in practice.
Making technology ours again
In my keynote I showed how we can bring technology back to people. Not as a black box that makes decisions about us, but as a tool that makes our work better, smarter and more human.
Using practical examples, I showed what that means in concrete terms:
- Locally running AI agents that work completely offline, without data ever leaving the country.
- The Feedback Companion, an AI assistant that helps teachers give feedback faster and better – GDPR-compliant, aligned with learning objectives and context.
- And how, with EduGPT, GovGPT and OrgGPT, we are building a European AI infrastructure that fits our public values.
Not hype, but a firm footing. Not scaremongering, but meaningful innovation.
What visitors took away
During the session we discussed questions such as:
- How do you use AI safely and mindfully in the classroom or in your organisation?
- How do you stay in control of your own data and context?
- And what does that ask of the professional of the future?
The responses were lovely to see: from library staff to ICT teachers, government and business. All of them looking for ways to make AI visible, open to discussion and usable.
Grateful for a strong network
A big thank you to WonderBit for the stage, to Leontine van Melle, Sabina Hendriks-Kok and Stijn Sprenkels for the fantastic organisation, and to the technical crew who made the evening run flawlessly.
And with pride: De Nieuwe Bibliotheek Almere is one of the first institutions to pilot EduGPT. A wonderful step towards responsible use of AI in education and libraries.
This definitely leaves me wanting more. 😎
About CivAI and the movement behind the scenes
Together with my colleagues at CivAI B.V., I am building a growing European AI ecosystem with platforms such as EduGPT, GovGPT and OrgGPT. Fully hosted within Europe, in line with our values, legislation and public standards. So that we can use AI in a way that is transparent, safe and human-centred.
Watch the keynote
The full recording of my keynote is now available to watch on YouTube 🎥
Want to know more or work together?
Would you also like to get started with responsibly applied AI in your school, library or organisation?
Visit www.onderwijsorakel.nl or discover the tools and pilots via:
Together we make AI ours again.
