Meisch stressed that it is not the role of schools to outlaw artificial intelligence, but just as little to treat it as something to be celebrated without reflection. In his view, schools should act as a kind of compass, guiding children and young people through the world of AI so they can learn to use these tools responsibly, thoughtfully, and with purpose.
Neuroscientist and biochemist Henning Beck, who was invited as guest speaker, warned that “those who fail to engage with AI will pay a high price in the future”. He argued that the debate too often focuses solely on the risks of using artificial intelligence, while overlooking the dangers of ignoring it altogether.
According to Beck, important ideas may never be developed, new business models could be missed, and future opportunities lost simply because people were too afraid of the technology. He emphasised that young people must be taught to judge when AI can be a useful support and when tasks require human judgement instead, a skill he thinks is essential for future survival.
Throughout his talk, Beck repeatedly underlined the importance of maintaining a critical attitude towards AI outputs. He explained that people must learn how to question AI-generated answers, verify whether information is incorrect or misleading, and recognise potential manipulation.
In his view, this kind of literacy can only be developed by actively testing the technology, pushing its limits, and questioning its results. He compared the process to learning to ride a bicycle: “You don’t learn how to ride a bike by making a plan and following it step by step, you learn by trying it out and sometimes falling over.” Schools, he argued, should provide a safe environment where young people are allowed to experiment, make mistakes, and grow stronger as a result.
The integration of AI into education inevitably represents a major shift not only for teachers, but also for parents whose own school experience 30 years ago was entirely different. Copying homework on the bus may now be a thing of the past, as AI can complete assignments in seconds.
However, Beck warned that using AI simply to speed up tasks without reflection comes at a price. Students who rely on the technology to write essays or analyse literary texts without engaging with them may learn very little in the process. But, according to Beck, the student must become aware of the price he pays, as they risk becoming dependent on the technology, more easily influenced by it, and ultimately less free.
True freedom, he argued, lies in knowing what to do with one’s own thinking, supported, but not replaced, by AI. According to Beck, AI cannot replace setting goals, being inquisitive, breaking rules, and making new ones in the process.
How artificial intelligence is used therefore makes all the difference. In Luxembourg, this approach is supported by AI Compass, an online resource offering guidance and tools for pupils, teachers, and school management on how to integrate AI responsibly into education.
One question, however, remains unresolved, according to Meisch: how student assessment and knowledge testing should evolve in this new context. He acknowledged that evaluation methods may need to be adapted to reflect the changing role of artificial intelligence in education.
