Eric Nentrup
- Mar 10
- 3 min read

The Week in Review: EdSAFE & AI at SXSW EDU '23

It’s one thing to share a collection of AI headlines—it’s another to be centered in the eye of the storm as it was at SXSW EDU in Austin, Texas as this week. The EdSAFE team, members, and even leadership network fellows converged for the annual gathering to discuss issues the field faces. However, event planners were making decisions for speakers and their sessions long before OpenAI opened the floodgates for AI in the midstream. The impact of the past couple months was reflected in the program.

In the mix was our very own managing director, Beth Havinga, speaking to a standing-room only crowd about the EdSAFE mission to ensure equity in education and provide safe education environments as we consider how to implement emerging technologies in our practice. Many advisory board member were also proactive in their AI messaging and guidance. Digital Promise’s Jeremy Roschelle shared his thoughts on a panel with the US DOE’s Office of Education Technology Director, Kristina Ishmael about the general impact of emerging technology on education policy. Dr. Rose Luckin shared from her research and The Center for Democracy & Technology’s Elizabeth Laird shared about student privacy issues. Additionally, fellows Nneka McGee and Shannon Terry attended and supported EdSAFE while learning across the gamut to take ideas back to their daily work.

Additionally, we attended multiple AI-themed sessions presented by the likes of AEI's John Bailey, New Schools Venture Fund CEO Frances Messano, as well as Turnitin's Eric Wang. Across the sessions, whenever AI in general or Large Language Models were featured, the overall conversation seemed to be aligning with the same priorities for the education field as we learn to negotiate this paradigm shift.

Each of their sessions was near capacity because stakeholders are looking for guidance. And with your help and input, we can provide a framework that serves all. To that end, here are the pertinent stories elsewhere in the mainstream news organized by the four areas of concern in our acronym, S.A.F.E.

The Week in Review: EdSAFE & AI at SXSW EDU '23

SAFETY:

ACCOUNTABILITY:

FAIRNESS:

EFFICACY:

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