ELAI@MN Initiative Takes Flight

Earlier this semester (October 21, 2025), we launched a critical initiative focused on Mapping the Conversation Space: Critical Reflections on Learning in the Era of AI. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming a powerful force, intersecting with how people learn in schools, homes, workplaces, and online spaces. It now influences everything from the information we encounter and how we communicate to how we solve problems and express ourselves. From adaptive learning platforms to AI tutors and social media algorithms, AI is shaping not just what we learn, but how learning happens, who is involved, and its overall trajectory.

The Education and Learning with AI at the University of Minnesota (ELAI@MN - pronounced Eli) initiative, spearheaded by LIL, formed a working group under DSAI focused on leading the discussions around AI in Education. The working group features a variety of perspectives, including University of Minnesota faculty and staff, school educators and leaders, and students from high school through graduate school. 

The goal of ELAI@MN is to move the conversation around educational AI beyond purely focusing on the latest tools and instead center the core values of education in our discussions. We want to ask how AI can deepen, disrupt, or reframe the kinds of learning experiences we genuinely want to foster. 

Please check out the ELAI@MN website for more information about the initiative and our upcoming sessions in November and December!