AI is already in our classrooms, in students’ pockets, in their homework, in their questions about the world. The question is no longer whether to introduce AI in K-9 education, but how we design AI experiences that build critical thinkers rather than passive consumers. Drawing on a decade of research in AI education for children, including the Cognimates platform used in classrooms worldwide, this keynote introduces the concept of Socratic AI: tools designed to ask questions rather than give answers, to scaffold understanding rather than replace thinking.
I will examine why AI literacy is now foundational to digital citizenship and democracy, and how AI can genuinely support reflective thinking, creativity, and complex problem-solving when designed with pedagogy in mind. The talk offers practical frameworks for teachers to evaluate and integrate AI tools that align with educational values, and considers what governments, school leaders, teachers, students, and families each contribute to responsible AI integration. In the Nordic tradition where building and learning go hand in hand, you have an opportunity to lead by demanding tools that honor children’s right to understand the world they’re inheriting.
Dr. Stefania Druga is a researcher and designer focused on AI education and children’s creative learning. She created Cognimates, an open-source platform for teaching AI to children, and has led AI literacy initiatives across four continents. Her current research at Sakana.ai centers on Socratic AI, designing learning companions that foster understanding rather than dependence.
