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TORONTO — An international group of scholars and education leaders plans to launch an initiative on November 7, 2026, calling for schools to rethink teaching and learning as artificial intelligence changes how students complete academic work.
The founding initiative for the International Association for AI and Innovation in Education (IAAIE) is scheduled to be announced during the U.S.–China Education Summit at Columbia University, according to organizers.
Coordinated by Paul Pu, a senior research scientist at the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, the initiative aims to connect educational research, classroom practice and AI innovation, with human development as its central goal.
Organizers argue that education needs a broader purpose than preparation for examinations, further study and employment, particularly as AI tools become capable of generating essays, answers and proposed solutions in seconds.
“It is the education system that needs to transform faster, rather than asking children to run faster on the same old track,” the founding declaration states.
The initiative proposes a framework called “School 2.0,” built around three capacities: using AI with understanding and independent judgment; applying knowledge through investigation, making and experimentation; and developing social skills through collaboration and shared responsibility.
The framework also emphasizes foundational knowledge and students’ ability to explain their reasoning, verify conclusions and apply learning in unfamiliar situations. It calls for privacy protection, fairness and ethical judgment to be incorporated into curriculum and school governance.
According to organizers, academic and strategic advisers include M. Jamal Deen of McMaster University, NYU Shanghai chancellor emeritus Lizhong Yu, education scholar Ruth Hayhoe, University of Toronto professor Jim Slotta, and UNESCO chairholders Charles Hopkins and Ronghuai Huang.
Co-initiators bring experience in education policy, research, school leadership and international exchange. The Erindale Academy in Ontario is among the schools whose leaders are participating, with organizers identifying it as a setting for practical exploration of School 2.0.
The proposed association plans to support international dialogue, curriculum development, teacher professional learning and classroom research. It also intends to share teaching resources and evaluate educational AI products for learning value, accuracy, fairness and data protection.
The initiative is inviting public signatures and expressions of interest through its website. Organizers say signing is free and indicates personal support; it does not confer membership or imply endorsement by a participant’s institution.
Further information and the founding declaration are available at iaaie.global.
