AI Isn’t the Solution—People Are: Lessons from the OLC Conference
Dec 03, 2025The exhibit hall at the Online Learning Consortium conference buzzed with excitement this year—AI tools, shiny demos, powerful promises. But beneath the hype, a clear message kept emerging: AI isn’t the solution. The solution is already inside your institution.
During the week, we had dozens of conversations with faculty, instructional designers, and administrators who were all wrestling with the same challenge: how to navigate rapid technological change without losing their identity or overwhelming their teams. Over and over, we heard that AI is being presented as a solution-first approach—tools that claim to fix every problem but end up homogenizing the work of diverse institutions.
Jarred, our Engaged By Design partner, described it well: “When AI becomes the answer before we define the question, every institution starts to look the same.” That sameness is dangerous. It flattens creativity. It erases what makes learning communities unique. And it places too much power in the hands of vendors rather than educators.
But here’s the good news: the real innovation is already present in your people.
AI can accelerate alignment, free up time, and support better design. But it’s your faculty, designers, and students who bring meaning, purpose, and authenticity to learning.
At OLC, we saw that when AI functions as a tool—not a replacement—it becomes a partner to human ingenuity. Our Course Design Accelerator sparked real excitement because it keeps faculty in the loop, reduces the drudgery, and amplifies thoughtful design instead of automating it away.
You don’t need AI to solve your problems.
You need clarity, process, and empowered people.
AI just helps you do what you already do—better, faster, and more intentionally.
To hear more insights, listen to the full Engaged By Design podcast episode recorded live from the exhibit hall.
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