Tech Explained: Here’s a simplified explanation of the latest technology update around Tech Explained: ASU explores human-centered AI at FOLC Fest in Simple Termsand what it means for users..
Arizona State University put human-centered AI under the spotlight at its second annual Future of Learning Community Fest, bringing faculty, instructional designers, and students together to examine how generative AI tools are reshaping teaching and learning.
The two-day event featured live demonstrations of in-development AI tools and a student-led panel focused on ethics, reflection, and classroom connection.
Teams from ASU Enterprise Technology hosted two sessions during FOLC Fest. One centered on showcasing AI innovations underway with faculty. The second focused on elevating student voice and lived experience with AI in higher education.
On LinkedIn, Technology at Arizona State University said its teams were onsite “to share, explore human-centered AI innovations.”
Faculty test AI tools in development
One interactive workshop, Designing the Future of Learning with CreateAI Builder and the Learning Design Suite, was led by Paul Alvarado, Associate Director of AI Programs and Analytics, and Jinjing Zhao, AI Experience Manager, both part of ASU’s AI Acceleration Team.
A live demonstration of the Learning Design Suite invited real-time feedback from educators. The suite includes tools such as REQUESTA, AI Transcription Tool, Language Buddy, Learning Objectives Creator, Sentinel: AI Conversation Coach, Syllabot, and Syllabus Helper. Many of the tools are currently in alpha or beta stages but are available for faculty to explore as development continues.
“These tools are designed, developed and iterated – shaped by principal innovation – because we want to make sure these tools are responsible and being used ethically,” Zhao says.
ASU positions the tools as aligned with learning science and ethical AI practices. The approach reflects a broader shift in higher education, where institutions are building internal AI capacity rather than relying solely on external platforms.
Students push for connection, not automation
Day two featured a student-led panel titled The Human in the Machine: Reimagining Education, Ethics, and Connection in the Age of AI. The session was led by Faith Timoh, Product Manager, Grace Nkossia, AI Innovation Specialist, and AI Innovation interns Powj Nyibong, Faraj Tessilimi, Mariam Serghat, and Tinotenda Muponda.
Students discussed how they navigate rapid AI adoption in their academic and professional work, with faculty engaging in conversations around assignment design, data privacy, and student well-being.
One student notes: “We want AI to adapt, but we still want teachers to help us connect. AI can help explain something in a different way that we can understand easily, but we still want teachers to notice when we ask.”
Muponda adds: “AI didn’t tell us what to do, but instead, it helped us to reflect. As students, we are not asking AI to think for us. We want it to support us while we think better.”
The message from FOLC Fest is measured rather than celebratory. AI is positioned as a tool that can support reflection and access, but not replace instructor presence or student judgment. For institutions experimenting with AI in the classroom, ASU’s approach signals a model that blends tool development with direct user feedback and visible student input.
As universities move from pilots to policy, the emphasis appears to be shifting from what AI can do to how it should be used, and who remains accountable when it is.
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