The Real AI Curriculum Starts with Values

Over the past few months, I’ve had the opportunity to deliver keynotes at both the May 2025 and September 2025 sessions of the AI in Action Conference.

At each, I posed a simple, open-ended question to a room full of educators.

One about what we do.
One about who we are.

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May 2025 – Shanghai, China

Keynote Titled: “Unlocking AI’s Potential to Support Teaching, Learning, and Operations,” which focused on what’s possible when educators start treating AI as a thought partner, not just a tool, but something we collaborate with to improve how we work, teach, and learn.

I asked:

“What do you think is an AI Century Task?”

Educators offered a flood of responses—from practical, day-to-day uses like prompt engineering and summarizing documents, to aspirational goals like solving global challenges, freeing humans from repetitive work, and designing AI with moral integrity.

They emphasized adaptability, critical thinking, social responsibility, creativity, and lifelong learning. It wasn’t just about teaching tech—it was about preparing students for a world of accelerated change.

You can read more on that keynote here:
👉 What Are the AI Century Tasks?

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September 20, 2025 – Chongqing, China

Keynote Theme: Human-Centered Futures – Teaching, Leading, and Shaping AI with Purpose

This time, I started with a different prompt:

“If your students grew up in a world shaped by AI, what values would you want that world to be built on?”

The responses came flooding in. Words like:
Empathy. Integrity. Kindness. Authenticity. Justice. Creativity. Respect. Equity.

And many more.

These weren’t academic answers. They were heartfelt, often deeply personal, and they reflected a powerful truth: educators care deeply not just about teaching skills, but about shaping the kind of world those skills help create.

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Where Values + Tasks Intersect

When you put the two questions side-by-side, you start to see how they’re not just related….they’re inseparable.

Core Value	AI-Century Tasks that Embody That Value
Empathy + Connection	“Connect people,” “enrich empathy,” “social interaction,” “collaboration.”
Ethical Responsibility	“Use tools ethically,” “maintain moral integrity,” “reflect on thinking,” “be critical.”
Creativity + Innovation	“Prompt engineering,” “creative problem solving,” “personalized tools,” “free humans from monotonous work.”
Adaptability + Curiosity	“Embrace continuous learning,” “adapt to rapid change,” “live with AI.”
Equity + Justice	“Solve global problems,” “design inclusive tech,” “care for the vulnerable,” “ensure access.”

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🧭 StrAIght Path: Turning Ideas into Action

In Chongqing, I introduced the StrAIght Path, a simple framework designed to help educators lead with values while navigating the complexities of AI in education.

It’s a conversation tool, a moral compass, and a call to action.

I’ll be sharing the downloadable PDF here soon. I hope it becomes something you can reflect with, plan from, and use to guide your own practice.

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Why This Matters Now

1. Educators are already leading the conversation
   Both in Shanghai and Chongqing, what stood out most was the clarity and urgency educators brought to these questions. We’re not waiting for answers. We’re creating them.
2. Values must shape the tools, not the other way around
   AI will change how we teach, learn, assess, and connect. But the how must be grounded in why—and the values we want to see in the world.
3. The future of education is being designed now
   Whether you’re planning lessons, developing tools, or leading teams, you’re helping design the blueprint for an AI-powered future. Let’s design it wisely.

I want to leave this conversation with an important quotation from Mo Gawdat the author of Scary Smart. This quotation is meant to spark reflection in our current path and hopefully wake the reader up to how important their role is in this critical juncture.

“There is a bit, maybe a lot wrong with the value set of humanity at the age of the rise of the machine.” Mo Gawdat

Thanks for reading!

Dr. Shannon H. Doak