Raising the Bar: Building Quality, Trust, and Learning Science into AI Education Tools

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Chad Laines, Instructional Technology Specialist at ABC Unified School District; James Donovan, Head of Learning and Cognitive Outcomes Research at OpenAI; Melissa Loble, Chief Academic Officer at Instructure; Sandra Liu Huang, President at Learning Commons; and Ben Kornell, Co-Founder at Edtech Insiders.The speakers discussed the proliferation of AI tools in education, examining why the sector has become crowded with applications that promise transformation but often fail to earn the trust of teachers and students who use them daily. They explored how shallow implementations can contribute to classroom clutter rather than meaningful learning gains.The panel emphasized how thoughtful design, transparency, and alignment with learning science can distinguish truly transformative tools from those that simply automate existing practices. The session challenged the edtech sector to prioritize pedagogical integrity and user agency over rapid deployment, ultimately setting a higher standard for what belongs in educators’ and students’ essential toolkit.