An emancipatory vision for designing (generative) AI for learner flourishing
Luis P. PrietoYannis Dimitriadis
Sep 2026
Artificial Intelligence
Abstract
The hype around generative AI seems to promise unprecedented productivity (and learning) gains. However, these technologies' increasing agentic features seem to push learners towards individualism (or individual isolation), over-reliance, and dependence on them. Human-centered design approaches (e.g., value-sensitive design) assume that, by unearthing human needs, preferences, and values, technology researchers/designers may avoid such dangers, which are driven by wider systemic factors like economic incentives or inherent human limitations (e.g., our tendency to seek, in the moment, the easiest path of action). Yet, so far these efforts seem insufficient to guide our design of educational technology that avoids the aforementioned dependency and isolation dangers, while finding widespread adoption. This paper presents an alternative, more emancipatory vision for future educational AI technology, oriented towards learner flourishing while considering the wider complex systems they inhabit, including tentative design principles and an overall design methodology. Yet, many open questions remain before this vision can be realized.
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