Bidirectional Human-AI Alignment Advances Education, Equipping Educators and Students

Artificial intelligence increasingly shapes education, promising tailored learning experiences and improved teaching support, but also raising important questions about fairness, data security, and student independence. Hua Shen from NYU Shanghai and New York University, along with colleagues, investigates how to build trustworthy learning environments through bidirectional human-AI alignment, a process where both people and technology adapt and learn from each other. This research moves beyond simply embedding human values into AI systems, and instead focuses on empowering teachers, students, and institutions to actively understand, evaluate, and direct these technologies. By proposing practical strategies for developers and educators, the team envisions a future where AI serves to enhance equity, transparency, and overall human development within education, rather than diminish them.

Ethical Values and Goals in Education

This text excerpt focuses on the critical need for bidirectional human-AI alignment in education, extending beyond functional correctness to encompass ethical values and the fundamental goals of education itself. Achieving this alignment requires a collaborative effort from developers, educators, policymakers, and society, acknowledging the potential for AI to cause harm and necessitating robust governance structures and safeguards. The text advocates for AI as a tool to enhance teaching and learning, supporting educators and students rather than replacing them, and highlights the importance of establishing clear ethical frameworks and guidelines for responsible development and deployment. Proactive governance and policy frameworks at institutional, national, and international levels are crucial for addressing data privacy, algorithmic bias, and equitable access, supporting a holistic view of education that fosters the intellectual, emotional, and social development of the whole student. In essence, the text is a call for a thoughtful, ethical, and socially responsible approach to integrating AI into education, prioritizing human values and the long-term well-being of students and society, focusing on how and why AI is implemented, not just what it can do.

Human-AI Alignment in Education Synthesis

This work pioneers a conceptual framework for bidirectional human-AI alignment in education, moving beyond simple tool implementation to explore collaborative partnerships between humans and artificial intelligence. Researchers synthesized emerging research and practical case examples, examining literature spanning AI ethics, educational technology, and governance to identify key challenges and opportunities presented by increasingly sophisticated AI systems. This involved a comprehensive review of the impacts of AI on teacher roles, student agency, and institutional governance, allowing the team to develop actionable strategies for policymakers, developers, and educators grounded in equity, transparency, and human flourishing. The study investigated the implications of AI for educational governance, considering how institutions can adapt to effectively manage and oversee these technologies, framing AI adoption as a continuous process of mutual adaptation and highlighting the importance of ongoing dialogue and collaboration. This approach envisions a future where humans and AI learn, innovate, and grow together, equipping teachers, students, and institutions with the skills to critically evaluate and guide AI technologies, ensuring they serve human values and promote positive educational outcomes.

AI Alignment Framework For Trustworthy Learning

This work details a comprehensive framework for bidirectional human-AI alignment in education, establishing a foundation for trustworthy learning environments. Researchers identify three foundational elements: core values and ethical principles, educational goals and desired outcomes, and human-AI interaction norms and boundaries, emphasizing that alignment is a multi-layered process requiring clarity on what should be aligned before implementing technical solutions or policy. The team highlights the importance of embedding principles like equity, inclusivity, privacy, transparency, and accountability into the design and deployment of AI systems, ensuring these technologies support, rather than distort, the aims of teaching and learning. AI systems must actively reduce disparities in access and achievement, necessitating diverse training data and inclusive design processes, alongside robust privacy safeguards and transparent data governance. Furthermore, the research demonstrates that AI should contribute to broader educational aims, such as nurturing critical thinking, creativity, and lifelong learning, reinforcing intended learning objectives and supporting higher-order skills while fostering student agency through adaptive pathways and meaningful feedback. Establishing clear norms for human-AI interaction, including transparency of roles and human oversight, is essential for maintaining trust and accountability, delivering a roadmap for policymakers, developers, and educators to ensure AI advances equity, transparency, and human flourishing in education.

AI Alignment, Education, and Continuous Adaptation

This work examines the foundations of bidirectional human-AI alignment within education, identifying core values, ethical principles, and interaction norms that require careful consideration. Researchers mapped pathways to achieve this alignment through technical design, ethical frameworks, and continuous evaluation, tracing the evolution of artificial intelligence from a support tool to a collaborative partner in learning. The findings demonstrate that successful integration depends on an ongoing process of mutual adaptation, strengthening trust and supporting education’s core aims when prioritised, but risking equity and autonomy if neglected. The team highlights the need to reimagine educational spaces as environments where humans and intelligent systems learn together, fostering creativity and critical thinking, and augmenting the role of educators. Acknowledging the complexity of this undertaking, the authors emphasise that realising this vision requires collective action from policymakers, educators, developers, and students, all working to create responsible innovation and trustworthy learning environments.