How does AI shape human cognition and pedagogy

UNESCO and the International Association of Universities (IAU) are launching  an online lecture series on artificial intelligence and higher education. 

This first lecture by Duncan H. Pritchard, Professor of Philosophy, University of California will explore how AI affects the ways we think, learn, and teach, and consider the implications for critical thinking and educational practice.

This initiative builds on the IAU and UNESCO’s commitment to supporting inclusive, ethical, and human-centered digital transformation in education. It follows the adoption of UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (2021) and seeks to explore the evolving role of universities in shaping, understanding, and responding to the profound changes brought about by AI in knowledge production, learning, governance, and ethics.

The series will consist of six online episodes, with interpretation in English and French. Each episode will feature one keynote speaker presenting for 20 minutes, followed by a moderated conversation with selected discussants, and an open Q&A session with the audience. This format is designed to foster participatory dialogue and multi-perspective exchange across regions and disciplines.

The series will examine both the impacts of AI on higher education and the contribution of universities to the development of AI. Instead of focusing on specific use cases, each episode will take a principled, forward-looking approach to address broader trends and dilemmas.

This lecture series is part of the IAU and UNESCO’s broader efforts to support Member States and universities in navigating the digital transformation of higher education while reinforcing academic freedom, ethics, and inclusive development.

• 15 October 2025, 13:00–14:00 (CET) 
  AI and knowledge: Tensions between the common good and commodification
  With Paul Tiyambe Zeleza, Professor of African Studies at Howard University
  Interrogate the role of AI in shaping access to and ownership of knowledge and question the responsibility of higher education in preserving knowledge as a public good.
• 25 November 2025, 13:00–14:00 (CET)
  The geopolitics of AI: What are the repercussions for higher education?
  With Rachel Adams, Founder and CEO of the Global Centre on AI Governance
  Reflect on the power dynamics shaping AI development and examine how universities can promote diversity, equity, and international collaboration.
• 12 December 2025, 13:00–14:00 (CET)
  AI ethics and standards: Balancing universality and diversity?
  With Peter-Paul Verbeek, Professor of Philosophy and Ethics of Science and Technology, University of Amsterdam
  Discuss the tensions between global AI frameworks and diverse academic and cultural values.
• Date TBC - The environmental imprint of AI
  Address the ecological footprint of AI and the role of universities in fostering responsible, sustainable innovation.
• Date TBC - Higher education as an AI catalyst: Capacity building, research advancement, and ethical stewardship
  Consider how universities can shape the future of AI through talent development, interdisciplinary research, and principled leadership.