The sixth annual enlightED, a world conference on education, technology and innovation, took place on the 18 and 19 October at the Espacio Fundación Telefónica in Madrid, bringing together experts and professionals in education and technology from around the world to rethink education in the age of artificial intelligence.
The event, organised by Telefónica Foundation, IE University, South Summit and “La Caixa” Foundation, was a key space to reflect on how artificial intelligence is transforming the way we learn and teach. The attendees had the opportunity to listen to distinguished personalities such as: Toju Duke, AI Advisor and Founder of Diverse AI; Carl Benedikt Frey, Professor of Artificial Intelligence at the Oxford Internet Institute; Priya Lakhani, Founding CEO of CENTURY Tech; Daniel Susskind, Professor of Economics at King’s College London and Research Associate at Oxford University’s Institute for the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence; Edo Segal, Founder and CEO of bMuse; Manos Antoninis, Director of UNESCO’s GEM Report; Esther Wojcicki, Founder of the Audiovisual Arts Programme at the Palo Alto Institute, among others…
The topics addressed in the various conferences and panels have included ethical and responsible issues related to artificial intelligence, public policy making in the field of education and technology, the evolution of Ed-Tech, the influence of this field on future generations and topics in general around these issues of global interest.
Technology in education: A tool on whose terms?
ProFuturo, in collaboration with UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring Report (GEM Report) and the Organisation of Ibero-American States (OEI), organised a panel discussion exploring the impact of technology in education, presenting the conclusions of the GEM Report 2023 for the first time in Spain.
The panel included the participation of Leticia de Rato, Head of Global Partnerships at ProFuturo, Manos Antoninis, Director of the UNESCO GEM Report, and Tamara Díaz Fouz, Director of Education at the Organisation of Ibero-American States, and was moderated by María Zabala, journalist and author of the book ‘Ser padres en la era digital’ (Being parents in the digital era) (2021).
De Rato highlighted ProFuturo’s work in relation to technology and education. From the learnings, she emphasised the need to experiment, systematise and search for evidence in order to implement and merge these areas effectively. In Telefónica Foundation’s educational programmes, the empowerment of teachers is considered fundamental to transform education and help children in the process, and the importance of creating didactic proposals through technology to offer memorable experiences to students is highlighted.
Antoninis emphasised that “technology is not a requirement, it is a tool”. In his speech, he stressed the importance of designing public education policies that effectively integrate technology, putting teachers and students at the school. He established that there is a need to promote digital public goods in education and concluded with the need for a comprehensive digital skills framework, which becomes a basic skill for navigating in today’s world.
Last but not least, Fouz highlighted the central question guiding the GEM 2023 Report: “How can we integrate technology to make it useful in education?” and pointed out how it is now at the centre of education policy agendas in Latin American countries, representing a breakthrough for the industry. She also highlighted the importance of equity and quality in education, mentioning the case of Uruguay and its renowned CEIBAL plan, which works towards equity and the reduction of the digital gap in LATAM countries.
The collaboration between ProFuturo, the GEM Report and the IEO has resulted in an enlightening debate on the role of technology in education and highlights the commitment of these institutions to improve digital education in the territories where they have an impact in order to continue building a more equitable future for all.
Watch the full conference here.
A closing to remember
The learnings from the event, which was attended by more than 2,500 people, had more than 30 debates, workshops and case studies, are extensive, as it allowed for understanding, experimenting and reflecting on artificial intelligence in the education industry.
At ProFuturo, we will continue to work to transform digital education around the world, focusing on bridging the education gap and improving the quality of education for millions of children living in vulnerable and emergency environments in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa and Asia, acting under Goal 4 of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDG4).
Education transforms!
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