A Month Without AI by James Bedford
A unique interview conducted by Spomocník with James Bedford, co-founder of the NoAI December initiative, which you are also welcome to join.
There are two groups of people: while the first still rejects generative AI more than two years after the launch of ChatGPT, the second can no longer imagine life without it. It assists its users in everyday situations — even in cases where they could easily manage without it. But could members of this second group even return to life without generative AI? And what would such a life look like?
These are the kinds of questions that the initiative called NoAI December aims to explore. I spoke about it with its co-founder, writer and educator James Bedford.
Dr. Bedford, thank you for taking the time to join us for today’s interview.
How did the idea of a month without AI come to you and what led up to it?
The genesis of NoAI December emerged not from meticulous planning but from a moment of raw self-awareness. After an exhausting day of teaching, I found myself on a train, watching a passenger struggle to retrieve AirPods lodged deep within a seat. Instinctively, I reached for my phone to consult ChatGPT on how to retrieve them — a reflex that startled me. This trivial incident laid bare a startling realisation: After nearly two years of daily AI use, I had begun outsourcing even minor cognitive tasks, not out of necessity but because algorithmic convenience had rewired my thinking habits. That moment of recognition — a confrontation with my own dependency — became the catalyst for a month-long experiment in intentional disconnection. After a chance tweet about the idea on X, I connected with a now good friend Sandro Rybarik, who had proposed a similar initiative, with the exact same name! It was quite uncanny and surreal but we decided to join forces and launched the NoAI December website soon after that.
What was your first month without AI like? What did you take away from this new experience, both for yourself and for your teaching?
My initial withdrawal from generative AI revealed its silent ubiquity in most of my professional work. Tasks I once delegated to ChatGPT — workshop designs, lecture brainstorming — suddenly demanded deliberate mental labor. The friction was illuminating. To counter this, I returned to analog methods: sketching ideas in notebooks, drafting lesson plans by hand. The slower pace surprised me. Without digital shortcuts, my thinking deepened; clarity emerged from the cognitive silence. Yet AI’s omnipresence — embedded in Word’s spellcheck, browser search bars, even email — proved inescapable without full digital detachment. This underscored a sobering reality: True cognitive autonomy in the AI era requires not just tool avoidance but a recalibration of our relationship with technology itself.
How was the initiative received by teachers, students, and others around you? Did it impact their approach to AI and digital technologies in general?
When I share my role co-founding NoAI December, reactions oscillate between curiosity and surprise. For educators unfamiliar with generative AI, the initiative may seem inconsequential. But for those who use these tools a lot, the idea of a detox seems to resonate. From those teachers I’ve spoken to who’ve had a break from AI, they’ve reported rediscovering latent creativity and sharper critical thinking when freed, even temporarily, from algorithmic crutches. The varied reactions to an AI detox reveals a readiness gap: While early adopters grasp AI’s cognitive trade-offs, many remain unaware of its subtle erosion of intellectual self-reliance. I strongly believe educators are uniquely positioned to model this balance — demonstrating how to harness technology without surrendering to it.
Why should people join this initiative?
Why participate? Because generative AI operates like cognitive caffeine — ubiquitous, addictive, and often invisible in its influence. NoAI December offers a “cognitive audit,” creating space to interrogate which tasks truly benefit from AI and which atrophy our own thinking. The challenge is deliberate: A month-long pause feels daunting precisely because it kind of is. Many of us have found practical ways to utilise AI tools in our daily work, to not have it would be challenging. Yet, therein lies the value of a detox. Participation isn’t a rejection of AI either. Its a recalibration, reminding educators that professional efficacy need not equate to outsourcing our own humanity.
I was very intrigued by the daily challenges for the entire month, divided thematically into 4 weeks. How did this brilliant idea come to you, and what feedback have you received from the community? Does it help participants stay committed and last the month without AI?
The initiative’s daily challenges — crafted by Claude Sonnet 3.5 during website development — aim to reconnect participants with intrinsically human tasks. Day 1 is writing a heartfelt letter by hand, for instance, became a poignant exercise in unmediated expression. While completing all 31 challenges proved difficult (I failed myself), each of the analog engagement activities cultivates focus often shattered by all the constant digital interruptions. These exercises aren’t meant to be nostalgic; they’re resistance against the fragmentation of attention — a core skill educators must preserve to model deep thinking for students.
Will the next edition of the initiative be different in any way? Do you have any ideas for improving it?
Building on 2024’s pilot, the 2025 iteration will prioritise community. Plans include moderated forums for shared reflections, partnerships with schools and universities to amplify impact, and a redesigned website. Importantly, we’re investigating the environmental argument: Could a collective pause in AI usage reduce the carbon footprint of data-hungry systems? By positioning NoAI December as both a personal and planetary intervention, we aim to broaden its relevance — transforming it from a solo experiment into a grassroots movement for collective cognitive sovereignty.
What would you say to people who still reject generative AI, and conversely, to those who are almost or entirely dependent on it?
Engaging with AI is a choice, not an imperative. For skeptics, I advocate curiosity: deep experimentation demystifies tools often shrouded in hype, revealing both utility and limitations. Conversely, heavy users benefit from detoxes to identify over-reliance. The goal isn’t blanket rejection but mindful integration — using AI to enhance, not replace, human intellect. For educators, this balance is pedagogical: We must understand these tools to guide students in using them ethically and effectively.
If you could have just one message for teachers, what would it be?
If I could leave with one thought to teachers: Your role transcends content delivery. In an age of chatbots and synthetic voices, you are the irreplaceable catalysts of critical thinking, empathy, and intellectual courage. The future isn’t written by algorithms but by students you equip to question, create, and lead. Never underestimate your power — or the urgency of preserving your cognitive autonomy to light their way.
Dr. Bedford, thank you so much for the interview, and I wish you many new ideas and inspirations, not only in connection with AI.
Who is James Bedford
- He is an award-winning writer and educator with over 10 years experience working in higher education, focusing on student support and the transformative role of education.
- He earned his PhD in Creative Writing from the University of New South Wales in 2019.
- He has published both creative fiction as well as teaching and learning scholarship.
- He has been a keynote speaker at multiple events and conferences, regularly sharing his insights on generative AI in higher education.
- He is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA).
- He is also a member of Artificial Intelligence in Education at Oxford University (AIEOU), a research hub dedicated to exploring the potential of AI in teaching and learning.
- Currently, he works as an Education Specialist in Artificial Intelligence at UNSW College.
(1)
About the NoAI December initiative
All the details about the initiative, including the 31 challenges, can be found on the NoAI December website: noaidecember.com.
References
- Dr James Bedford. Available at: https://www.jamesbedford.com.au/ (Accessed: 18 March 2025).
