Peter Kirstein Lecture with Professor Tom Mitchell: Where Can AI take Education by 2030?

18 June 2025, 5:30 pm–9:00 pm

Join Professor Tom Mitchell (Carnegie Mellon University) for the Peter Kirstein Lecture, UCL Computer Science’s flagship event, as he explores how AI and large language models could transform education by 2030. He will discuss how rapid advances in AI and the growth of online learning platforms are opening new opportunities for teaching millions worldwide, followed by a panel discussion.

Event Information

Open to: All
Availability: Yes
Organiser: UCL Computer Science

computerscience.comms@ucl.ac.uk

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Abstract

If AI is going to transform education, Professor Mitchell believes it will happen this decade. Two major trends are coming together:

rapid progress in AI, especially Large Language Models like ChatGPT, and
the rise of online education platforms, now used by millions and providing valuable training data for AI.

Professor Mitchell will explore the current landscape, where AI in education could go next, and share research from his group at Carnegie Mellon University.

Panel discussion

The lecture will be followed by a panel discussion on the future of education and AI.

Professor Mitchell will be joined by a panel of experts to explore the future of AI in education, chaired by Professor Kaska Porayska-Pomsta, Director of the UCL Knowledge Lab.

Panellists include:

Matthew Pryor, founder of EdTech start-up Graffinity
Professor Daniel Rothschild, Professor of Philosophy of Language at UCL
Professor Ivana Drobnjak, Director of the Undergraduate Programme in Computer Science and Member of UNESCO Chair in AI

The event will conclude with a reception at UCL East Marshgate.

Live stream

For those unable to attend in person, the event will be live-streamed.

Please book via the button above for either option.

About the Peter Kirstein Lecture Series

The Peter Kirstein Lecture is the flagship lecture series for UCL Computer Science. It honours Peter Kirstein, our founding Head of Department and a key figure in the global development of computer science.

Peter’s work often challenged the status quo and helped reshape society, not just in the West but also in emerging nations after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Together with Peter, we agreed that the lecture series should welcome new staff involvement and feature bold speakers who encourage new thinking.

Find out more about the Peter Kirstein Lecture Series.

About the Speakers

Professor Tom Mitchell

Founders University Professor (Keynote Speaker) at Carnegie Mellon University

Tom M. Mitchell is the Founders University Professor at Carnegie Mellon University, where he founded the world's first Machine Learning Department. His work spans machine learning, AI, cognitive neuroscience, and the impact of AI on society.

He is currently focused on AI in education, working with organisations such as Squirrel AI and CK12.org.

Professor Mitchell has advised several U.S. congressional committees on AI and recently co-chaired a U.S. National Academies study on AI and the future of work.

He is a Fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) and a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

More about Professor Tom Mitchell

Professor Kaska Porayska-Pomsta

Director of the UCL Knowledge Lab (Panel Moderator) at UCL Institute of Education

Professor Kaska Porayska-Pomsta is Director of the UCL Knowledge Lab at the UCL Institute of Education, where she leads pioneering research at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence, education and the learning sciences.

Her work explores how AI can enhance communication, inclusion and personalisation in learning, with a strong focus on ethics and explainability. Kaska holds a PhD in AI and is Associate Editor for two leading journals in the field.

She also serves on the Executive Board of the International Society of AI in Education and champions co-design as a method for creating responsible, human-centred educational technologies.

More about Professor Kaska Porayska-Pomsta

Matthew Pryor

Founder of EdTech Start Up (Panellist) at Graffinity

Matthew is the founder of EdTech start-up, Graffinity, which is developing systems to make large language models more accurate and efficient. Graffinity is supported by the UCL Centre for Digital Innovation (CDI) Accelerator programme, and has won a share of £1 million, as part of the Department for Education’s AI Tools for Education Competition.

For this project, Graffinity is building a concept map evaluation tool to help teachers with formative assessment in collaboration with the IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society, the Knowledge Lab, UCL’s Advanced Research Computing Centre, and the CDI.

More about Matthew Pryor

Professor Ivana Drobnjak

Director of the Undergraduate Programme in Computer Science (Panellist) at UCL Computer Science

Professor Ivana Drobnjak is Director of the Undergraduate Programme in Computer Science at UCL, a member of the UNESCO Chair in AI, and Professor of Computational Healthcare.

Her work focuses on building responsible, human-centred AI systems that are fair, transparent and energy-efficient.

She collaborates with UNESCO and industry partners on ethical AI, and is committed to increasing diversity in the sector.

More about Professor Ivana Drobnjak

Professor Daniel Rothschild

Professor of Philosophy of Language at UCL Philosophy

Daniel Rothschild is Professor of Philosophy of Language at UCL. Professor Rothschild's work focuses on language, knowledge and their interaction.

Recently, Daniel has written on the implications of large language models for philosophy of mind, and he is currently working on a book manuscript on connections between machine learning and human learning.

Before joining UCL, Rothschild held faculty positions at Columbia University, Yale University, and most recently All Souls College, Oxford.

More about Professor Daniel Rothschild