Will AI Overtake Special Education?
If the AI flood is upon is, why bother with sandbags?
If AI will eventually run our lives, it’s easy to wonder whether governance is just a waste of time. When the future feels inevitable, the idea of trying to shape it can seem pointless- like standing in front of a moving train and hoping it slows down. But that assumption misses something important. Governance is about deciding how we want to live with it, how we protect people who don’t understand the systems shaping their decisions, and how we keep humans, not algorithms, at the center of the work that matters most.
But perhaps it depends on your industry?
In special education, governance can improve how IEP teams collaborate, giving opportunities for teams to explore and make sense of data, ask questions, and refine goals... as a team.
When I wrote a white paper on AI use in special education (AI in Special Education Governance Frameworks for IEP Teams, Autumn 2025- link here), three things became clear:
Good governance:
Protects individuals from being swept up in systems they don't fully understand
Prevents isolated decision-making and ensures the student remains at the center
Keeps student data secure
Maybe the real question isn’t whether governance can stop the flood.
Maybe it is whether we are willing to stand there long enough to decide what kind of world we want after the flood.
