The recent and accelerating use and integration of Generative AI in education presents educators and educational administrators with new opportunities and ethical and educational challenges. A panel sponsored by European Studies; Latin American, Caribbean, and Iberian Studies Program; International Division; Institute for Regional and International Studies National Resource Center; Center for Southeast Asian Studies; Center for East Asian Studies; and African Studies Program addressed this pressing topic.
At the January 2026 Wisconsin State Education Convention , over 200 Wisconsin school administrators and educators attended a panel session of UW-Madison researchers and private industry experts for the hour-long session, “AI in the Classroom: Ethical Frontiers and Practical Implications.” The session was moderated by Superintendent/Principal of the Washington-Caldwell School District, Waterford, WI Kevin McCormick, and Assistant Director of Latin American, Caribbean, and Iberian Studies, UW–Madison & member of the School District of Lodi’s Board of Directors Sarah K. Ripp.
The panel was born out of a conversation between Ripp and McCormick that began at a previous UW-Madison educator workshop, “AI and Society: Community Impacts and New Directions.”
Panelists included Shamya Karumbaiah, Assistant Professor, Educational Psychology, UW–Madison; John Martin, Senior Teaching & Learning Developer, UW–Madison; John Surdyk, Teaching Faculty & Director of Initiative Studies, School of Business, UW–Madison; and John Thomsen, Director of Engagement and Policy and Wisconsin Associate, Neola, Inc.