In the latest edition of the TeachNet podcast, Dr. Michael Hallissy is joined by Dr. Eamon Costello, Associate Professor in DCU’s Institute of Education, to explore what AI literacy really means for teachers and schools.
Drawing on the AI Literacy in the Classroom project at DCU’s ADAPT Research Centre, and supported by Google, Eamon offers a critical and grounded perspective on generative AI in education. Rather than focusing on tools, the conversation centres on professional judgement, learner agency, and the realities of classroom practice.
The conversation also challenges claims that AI will save teachers time, highlighting risks around increased workload, cognitive offloading, and authenticity of learning. Eamon also talks about AI as a form of automation and reflects on how language and metaphors shape how AI is understood and used.
Ultimately, the episode argues that meaningful and ethical engagement with AI in education depends less on policies and platforms, and more on trust, critical literacy, and investment in people.
Notable takeaways
- AI is often experienced as disruption rather than innovation.
- Teachers are cautious, not resistant, to change.
- Professional judgement matters more than tools or scripts.
- Time‑saving claims should be treated carefully.
- AI literacy is about critical understanding, not adoption.
- Ethical use depends on human agency and trust.
Additional resources
Bender, E. M., Costello, E., Lee, K., Farrow, R., & Ferreira, G. (2025). Unsafe AI for Education: A Conversation on Stochastic Parrots and Other Learning Metaphors Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 2025(1), 10.
Costello, E. (2024). ChatGPT and the educational AI chatter: Full of bullshit or trying to tell us something?. Postdigital Science and Education, 6(2), 425-430.
Costello, E., & Gow, S. (2025). Authoritarian EdTech. Dialogues on Digital Society, 1(3), 302-306.