Partnering AI & HI in Classroom Teaching: Is the Partnership between Artificial & Human Intelligence True Love or an Arranged Marriage?

Grace Wang
Sep 23
2 min read

Updated: Sep 30

On Saturday, August 23rd, 2025, the Department of English Language Education (ELE) hosted the 7th Annual eTEACHERS Roundtable at the EdUHK North Point Study Centre. The event brought together over 100 classroom teachers, educational leaders, policy-makers and academics to explore the partnership between AI and HI - that is, human teachers.

The plenary session opened with a warm welcome and introduction to the eTEACHERS.online Community of Practice by Dr Tim Taylor. The keynote address by Professor Angel Lin, Chair Professor at ELE then engaged the audience with thought-provoking examples and illustrations of the power and limitations of AI.

Professor Lin’s keynote set the stage for an exciting hour-long Roundtable discussion, moderated by Dr Taylor. Our Roundtable speakers included Professor Lin; ELE’s Lecturer, Mr Denis Wong; Vice-Principal and Secondary Teacher, Ms Jenny Leung; Primary Teacher, Ms Annie Yiu; and PhD Candidate Ms Winsy Lai. The Roundtable discussion included diverse perspectives and several stimulating questions from the audience.

Did you miss any of the Breakouts Sessions? Explore the practical resources and teaching strategies shared by our speakers right here on eTEACHERS.online. Links to all the sessions can be found at the bottom of this page.

Welcome and Keynote

View our presentation slides here: 7th Roundtable Presentation Slides.pdf

Outline of the Keynote Speech: Generative AI for Language Teachers: Potential Benefits & Risks

Speaker: Prof Angel Lin

16:11 Core concept: defining AI's role
22:20 Practical "Quick Win 1" for teachers
25:18 Practical "Quick Win 2" for teachers
35:56 The ethical compass: the PAA model
40:15 Guidance for getting started
40:35 Takeaways and conclusion

Roundtable Discussion

Highlights of Roundtable Discussion Questions

15:02 Why do we assume AI automatically improves independent learning? What are the potential risks to children's social-emotional development from prolonged interaction with AI, especially given real-world incidents of harm? How can we manage these risks when bans are impractical?
24:42 How can we balance the use of AI with concerns about increased screen time and its potential negative impact on children's brain development and attention spans?
39:18 Are there any kid-safe, student-directed AI tools suitable for classroom use (like for writing personal statements)? How can we prevent students from "outsmarting" these tools and derailing the lesson?
47:02 What is the best way for teachers, especially e-learning leaders, to keep up with the rapid pace of new AI technologies and identify the most useful ones to share with colleagues?