AI Has Landed in Education: Now What?

Hello Learning Futurists 👋

Welcome to the December 2025 edition of Learning Futures.

As we move toward 2026, something striking has become clear: the question, “Should we adopt AI?” is - for most of us at least - now answered. The arguably more complex question that we face as we enter 2026 is, “Are we using AI to build better learning, or just faster delivery?”

Here’s what’s shaped the AI-education landscape in the last month:

• The AI Speed Trap is [still] here: AI adoption in L&D is basically won (87%)—but it’s being used to ship faster, not learn better (84% prioritising speed), scaling “more of the same” at pace.

• AI tutors risk a “pedagogy of passivity”: emerging evidence suggests tutoring bots can reduce cognitive friction and pull learners down the ICAP spectrum—away from interactive/constructive learning toward efficient consumption.

• Singapore + India are building what the West lacks: they’re treating AI as national learning infrastructure—for resilience (Singapore) and access + language inclusion (India)—while Western systems remain fragmented and reactive.

• Agentic AI is the next pivot: early signs show a shift from AI as a content engine to AI as a learning partner—with UConn using agents to remove barriers so learners can participate more fully in shared learning.

• Moodle’s AI stance sends two big signals: the traditional learning ecosystem in fragmenting, and the concept of “user sovereignty” over by AI is emerging.

The paradox at the heart of this month’s research and development is that we have never been better equipped to create learning at scale, but we remain largely uncertain about how to design and deliver learning in the age of AI.

Let’s dive in. 🚀