“Because sometimes, the mess is the learning.” At AI020, Felienne Hermans (Professor of Computer Science Education, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) delivered a great and refreshing keynote that reminded us: if we want to use AI for good in education, we need to empower teachers.

She emphasized that real learning is messy. It requires time, reflection, and the ability to sit with discomfort. “Many of us don’t need algorithms for good ideas, we are good algorithms. What we need is thinking time, no quick output.” Her message resonated deeply: AI should support, not replace, the complex, creative, and very human process of learning.