Listening, Speaking and Writing
31 AI, AIED and Human Agency
Wayne Holmes
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has often been accused of threatening human agency (for example, see the summary of 979 “expert” views reported in Artificial intelligence and the future of humans1). This is particularly the case for the application of AI in education (AIED), including in my own research. For example, in a report for the Council of Europe, we write that the approach adopted by almost all AIED tools “prioritises remembering over thinking, and knowing facts over critical engagement, thus undermining learner agency and robust learning”2. However, while such claims are easy to make, and I stand by this one, rarely are they properly unpacked. Accordingly, that is the intention of this brief exposition: to explore what exactly is meant by ‘human agency’, and to consider the impact of both AI and AIED.
Broadly speaking, human agency is the capacity of individuals to act independently, making choices from among different options based on their own beliefs, values and goals. In other words, it is the ability of humans to make decisions and initiate and carry out actions that influence their lives and the world around them. It can involve multiple dimensions. These include intentionality (acting consciously with a specific aim or goal in mind), autonomy (independence, self-determination and the freedom to make choices and decisions that reflect one’s own preferences, values and goals), adaptability (the capacity to learn, modify one’s behaviour and succeed in response to changing circumstances), and responsibility (the ethical and moral dimension of agency – being accountable for the consequences of one’s decisions and actions).
Human agency is crucial for personal growth and a successful life. It empowers individuals to shape their own lives and influence the world around them. It fosters a sense of control and self-efficacy, and is correlated with higher levels of psychological well-being. When individuals feel that they have control over their lives and can make meaningful choices, in other words when they feel they have genuine agency, they are more likely to experience satisfaction and fulfilment. As one of the leading researchers of human agency explains: “Unless people believe they can produce desired effects by their actions, they have little incentive to act or to persevere in the face of difficulties.”3.
In educational contexts, human agency refers to the capacity of students and teachers to make choices, to act autonomously, and to take control of teaching and learning within classroom settings. The emphasis is on the role of individuals in shaping educational journeys, making decisions about what, how, and why something is learned. Human agency in educational contexts involves multiple considerations. For example, student agency can be enhanced when they are not treated as passive recipients of knowledge but as active participants in the learning process, and