Learning Systems
Shaping the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Education
September 2024 (Updated August 2026)
Series Overview
Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) advancements have prompted both excitement and concern about AI’s impact on education.
AI offers a wide range of uses in education, from streamlining administrative tasks to providing personalized academic support for students to reimagining school staffing models. At the same time as education leaders explore applications of AI, they must carefully balance potential benefits with the inherent risks of such a new and rapidly changing technology.
Bellwether’s three-part Learning Systems series takes a holistic approach to help leaders and policymakers make decisions about incorporating AI in schools.
Explore the full Learning Systems series and download the reports.
Explore the Series
Bellwether’s three-part Learning Systems series takes a holistic approach to help leaders and policymakers make decisions about incorporating AI in schools.
Foundations
Considerations
Applications
Note: Authors revised the Foundations and Considerations decks in June 2025, January 2026, and August 2026 to keep pace with rapid developments in AI.
Thank you to those who provided their time and expertise to inform Bellwether’s AI work prior to the Learning Systems series project.
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Acknowledgments, About the Authors, About Bellwether
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank the many individuals who gave their time and shared their knowledge with us to inform our work, including interview participants for being generous in providing their perspective and expertise. Thank you to the Bezos Family Foundation, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, the Charter School Growth Fund, Oak Foundation, Overdeck Family Foundation, and Raikes Foundation for their financial support of the September 2024, May 2025, and January 2026 editions of this project. Thank you also to the Charter School Growth Fund and the Walton Family Foundation for their financial support of the August 2026 edition of this project.
We would also like to thank our Bellwether colleagues Alex Spurrier, Daniela Torre Gibney, Christine Wade, Lynne Wells Graziano, Mark Baxter, Priyanka Patel, and Alexis Richardson for their input, and our former colleagues Shruti Nagarajan, Zoe Cuddy, Mandy Berman, Kaitlin Beeson, and Janine Sandy for their support. Thank you to Amy Ribock, Kate Stein, Andy Jacob, McKenzie Maxson, Esta Sherr, Temim Fruchter, Julie Nguyen, and Amber Walker for shepherding and disseminating this work, and to Super Copy Editors.
The contributions of these individuals and entities significantly enhanced our work; however, any errors in fact or analysis remain the responsibility of the authors.
About the Authors
AMY CHEN KULESA
Amy Chen Kulesa is a senior adviser at Bellwether. She can be reached at amy@luminosityadvising.com.
MICHELLE CROFT
MARISA MISSION
BRIAN ROBINSON
LINEA HARDING
Linea Harding is a senior analyst at Bellwether. She can be reached at linea.harding@bellwether.org.
MARY K. WELLS
Mary Kâ€. ‬Wells is a co-founder and senior partner at Bellwether and leads the organization’s work on nontraditional and out-of-school learningâ€. ‬She can be reached at†‬mary@bellwether.orgâ€.‬​
ANDREW J. ROTHERHAM
Andrew Jâ€. ‬Rotherham is a co-founder and senior partner at Bellwetherâ€. ‬He can be reached at†‬andy@bellwether.orgâ€. ‬
JOHN BAILEY
John Bailey is a nonresident senior fellow at American Enterprise Instituteâ€. ‬He can be reached at†‬john@vestigopartners.comâ€.‬
Bellwether is a national nonprofit that works to transform education to ensure young people — especially those furthest from opportunity — achieve outcomes that lead to fulfilling lives and flourishing communities. Founded in 2010, we help mission-driven partners accelerate their impact, inform and influence policy and program design, and bring leaders together to drive change on education’s most pressing challenges. For more, visit bellwether.org.
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