AI as A Catalyst for Innovation and Opportunity in K-12 Multiple Choice

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured James Rhyu, CEO at Stride; Aylon Samouha, CEO at Transcend; Christopher Neilson, CEO at Tether Education; Garrett Smiley, CEO at Sora Schools; Cady Ching, Chief Executive Officer at Summit Public Schools; and Robin Lake, Director at CRPE.The speakers explored how, within a Multiple Choice ecosystem, AI held real promise to personalize learning, streamline operations, support family navigation, and increase the effectiveness of flexible funding. They examined how AI had not only enhanced existing systems, but had also enabled entirely new school models to emerge and thrive.This session focused on how AI could help students find the right learning environments, connect families to services, and deepen engagement across diverse educational models. Panelists discussed how AI was being implemented across emerging providers and multiple-choice systems to expand opportunity, strengthen responsiveness, and improve educational fit for students and families.At the same time, the conversation emphasized that how these tools were designed, governed, and deployed mattered deeply. Speakers examined the importance of building trust, transparency, and equity into AI systems from the start, ensuring that innovation remained human-centered and responsibly implemented.At its core, this session explored the fusion moment between technological capability and thoughtful leadership—highlighting how responsible AI adoption could strengthen learning, expand opportunity, and support more dynamic, equitable K–12 ecosystems.