Back to the Basics: Thoughts on AI, Education, and What It Means to Be Human

This past weekend, I stayed in a rustic tree house in the woods. No cell service. No notifications. Just the sound of the forest and the quiet hum of my own thoughts.

We were just a few miles from the California coast, surrounded by redwoods that seemed to stretch endlessly into the sky. At night, we sat around the fire and simply stared. Into the flames, into the dark, into the quiet. It felt like a rare gift. A full weekend to unplug, breathe, and think.

Naturally, I found myself thinking about AI.

More specifically, I kept coming back to a single question.

As technology keeps racing forward, how do we make sure we do not lose sight of what makes education and life so profoundly human?

I keep thinking we have to go back to the basics. The human stuff.

We need to make sure our students are comfortable sharing their thoughts. That they can speak in front of others and know how to really listen. That they are encouraged to stay curious and ask questions that matter, even when it feels a little uncomfortable. Maybe especially when it feels uncomfortable.

Because here is the truth. No matter how much information we have at our fingertips, it does not mean much if we do not know what to do with it.

The goal has never been to simply collect facts. The goal is to become knowledgeable.

Knowledge is not just what you know. It is what you carry with you. It is how you make sense of things. It shapes how you think, how you act, and how you move through the world.

That is what we should be focused on. Not just giving students access to more information, but helping them build the skills to turn that information into meaning. Helping them think clearly, speak with intention, and live with purpose.

Real growth does not come from downloading the right tool or asking the perfect AI prompt. It comes from conversation. From reflection. From community.

Yes, AI will be a powerful part of the future. But it cannot lead the journey.

This is not about choosing between humans and machines. It is about remembering that we are human. And making sure we lead with that.