In this conversation, we talk about what it actually feels like to teach, learn, and communicate in a world where humans and AI are increasingly talking to each other. The speaker shares personal experiences with language technologies and the unexpected ways AI can stumble over figurative language—the same kinds of misunderstandings we see with students every day. We dig into how culture and bias shape the way AI “understands” language, and what that means in real classrooms. Most importantly, the discussion helps educators see where AI can support learning—and where human judgment, and context matter most. The conversation emphasizes the importance of understanding AI’s limitations and using it as a tool for enhancing learning rather than replacing essential skills.

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Dr. Vered Shwartz is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of British Columbia and a Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) AI chair at the Vector Institute. She specializes in natural language processing and artificial intelligence (AI), and conducts research towards the fundamental goal of building AI models capable of human-level understanding of natural language.