AI in Education: A Conversation with PlayLab’s Yusuf Ahmad

In a world where artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming every aspect of our lives, education stands at a critical crossroads. Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with Yusuf Ahmad, co-founder of PlayLab, a nonprofit that’s revolutionizing how educators interact with AI. Our conversation shed light on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for AI in education.

“Our mission is really democratizing who gets to shape how AI is adopted in our society as AI becomes much more ubiquitous,” Yusuf explained. PlayLab’s approach is refreshingly different — they’ve created a safe sandbox where educators can experiment with AI responsibly, either starting from scratch or adapting tools from their global community.

But what about the elephant in the room — the fear of AI in education? Yusuf addressed this head-on: “We as a society are at a crossroads right now. There’s a path where we repeat the mistakes of the social media era, where we see consolidation, we see one or two winners that control the technology we use every day, and most people are dependent and users of that technology.”

However, Yusuf envisions a different future — one where AI technology is open source, transparent, and accessible to all. He believes we’re not far from having powerful AI models that can be downloaded and run on low-cost devices, truly democratizing access to this technology.

When I brought up concerns about cheating, Yusuf emphasized that technology alone isn’t the answer. “ in the hands of an educator or a student who is motivated to improve their writing is a really powerful tool,” he said, referencing a tool we developed together. “It’s going to change teaching. It’s going to change learning.”

Named for acclaimed journalist Edward R. Murrow, Murrow.ai is a free tool that coaches students to improve their writing skills rather than cheat. Through word of mouth and no marketing, educators and students have used Murrow.ai more than 40,000 times.

Our conversation then turned to the potential of AI to democratize tutoring. While Yusuf acknowledged the risk of exacerbating existing inequalities, he also highlighted the immense possibilities: “The capabilities are powerful, but we need folks who have a lot of that pedagogical expertise driving how the technology is designed.”

Perhaps most inspiring was Yusuf’s approach to introducing educators to AI. “We want folks playing,” he said, explaining why they call themselves PlayLab. “Starting to tinker with it, building their ideas of what this might be, both what’s possible, but also what are the risks? What are the limitations?”

As our conversation drew to a close, I asked Yusuf about the future — both for his own child and for the next generation. His vision was clear: “The world that I hope to create for my daughter is a world where she can bend the technology, where she can play with it, where she can build her intuitions about how it works.”

In the end, Yusuf’s message was one of empowerment and democratization. Whether it’s educators creating their own AI tools or paraprofessionals feeling equipped to join conversations about AI in education, PlayLab is working to create a world where everyone has a say in how this powerful technology shapes our future.

As we navigate this new frontier in education, one thing is clear: the power of AI in education lies not just in the technology itself, but in how we choose to engage with it. With visionaries like Yusuf leading the way, the future of AI in education looks bright indeed.

Learn more about JLI’s AI Tools, professional development courses, and other resources at journalisticlearning.org Find out more about Playlab at Playlab.ai.

Access the podcast interview here.