The trust crisis in education and the role of AI

What happens when students start trusting AI more than their teachers?In this episode of Education Futures, Svenia Busson speaks with Mary Burns, researcher at the Brookings Institution and co-author of the report “A New Direction for Students in an AI World: Prosper, Prepare, Protect.”With over 40 years of experience in education — from classroom teaching to advising ministries of education across more than 100 countries — Mary brings a rare, global perspective on how AI is reshaping learning systems.In this episode, we explore:• The “web of distrust” emerging in education systems• Why students may begin to trust AI more than teachers• The risks of cognitive, emotional, and social offloading to AI• Why AI feels more reliable, neutral, and emotionally safe than humans• The rise of teacher over-reliance on AI — an under-discussed risk• Why AI literacy must be holistic (not just tool usage)• The dangers of sycophantic AI systems and emotional attachment• The growing gap between AI adoption and regulationA key framework from the episode:Mary co-authored a major report proposing a 3-pillar framework for AI in education:👉 Prosper, Prepare, Protect• Prosper: Use AI to improve learning and opportunity• Prepare: Equip students, teachers, and systems to use AI responsibly• Protect: Safeguard learners from risks (cognitive, emotional, data-related)📄 Read the full report:Brookings Institution – A New Direction for Students in an AI Worldhttps://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/A-New-Direction-for-Students-in-an-AI-World-FULL-REPORT.pdfDistance education for teacher training: modes, models and methods - http://go.edc.org/07xdRead "eyes wide open" the chapter Mary wrote in "Que educação nos exige – hoje − o porvir? Se não agora, quando. Universidade de Lisboa: Centro de investigação e de estudos em belas-artes, p. 50-69"English version here: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fac2fdb0da84a28cc76b714/t/67b56f484fc8d51dd5546fa4/1739943752612/Mary+Burns-Eyes+Wide+Open+What+We+Lose+from+Generative+AI+in+Education.pdf