AI Summit 2026-Just Because You Can: Teaching Adult Learners When to Use AI and When Not To

Abstract:

Adult Learners are already encountering AI in job applications, assessments, workplace workflows, and online learning platforms, but nobody's teaching them to ask the right question: not "What can AI do?" but "Should I use it here, and why?" Educators face the same gap.

This session moves beyond AI tool tours and to build judgment skills both you and your learners can apply in real time. We'll work through four essential questions every user should ask before prompting, practice identifying tasks where AI genuinely helps learning versus where it introduces risk or undermines skill-building, and explore how these conversations translate to workplace and postsecondary contexts. You'll leave with a simple decision framework your learners can use, two classroom-ready activities and language for talking about responsible AI with students, colleagues, and administration.