Our second Annual AI staff Conference was designed around what the evidence tells us, and how we can integrate that with the expertise and professional judgment of our staff as they seek to support young people at every stage of their development.

The day opened with a keynote address in Leslie Hall by Professor Kai Riemer and Associate Professor Sandra Peter from the University of Sydney Business School. Their presentation equipped staff with a ground-up approach to AI emphasising strengths and weaknesses provoking the harder question of: what does this mean for the skills, dispositions, and capacities we most want to develop in young people?

At the heart of the conference was the pre-release of a landmark Rapid Literature Review, produced by the Barker Institute in partnership with researchers at the University of Sydney: Young people, learning, and generative AI: A rapid literature review and implications for PreK-12 education. Led by Dr Natasha Arthars (USYD) and Dr Matthew Hill (Barker Institute), the review synthesised findings from 274 peer-reviewed studies published since 2022, making it the most comprehensive reviews of its kind focused specifically on PreK-12 learners. The report will be published globally on Tuesday 11 August and all are invited to the launch webinar.

Secondary School Teaching Staff rotated through three sessions, each developed in direct response to the review's findings: an exploration of the research evidence itself, a practical workshop on how Barker will prioritise use of the AI platform Cogniti (which provides a bespoke, education-focussed tool designed to support learning rather than completion), and a session designing custom AI solutions to support durable learning and prioritise what matters most. The design of the day was itself an application of the evidence: sessions were tailored to specific faculty contexts to ensure that the implications of the research were grounded in the realities of different classrooms across the school. Professional services staff had a parallel program covering AI in everyday workflows, using AI to tackle complex projects, and a practical cyber safety refresher. Junior School teachers similarly received the pre-release of the current evidence, along with collaborative planning suited to their context where protecting the minds and development of our youngest learners is the top priority.

For those asking whether Barker's engagement with AI is simply about keeping pace with a fast-moving world, Monday's conference is evidence to the contrary. The school has a deliberate, sustained, and evidence-informed focus on AI, supported by a multi-year strategic research program of the Barker Institute in AI, Learning, and the Developing Person.

The timing of this year's conference was fitting. Just weeks ago, I attended the27th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED 2026) in Seoul, South Korea, the world's premier peer-reviewed conference dedicated to AI in education, returning with a clearer sense of where the international field is heading.

What I found there affirmed what we are doing here. Our agenda is deeply aligned with where the best international scholarship is heading. The questions we are asking about how AI shapes young minds, and about what it means to cultivate distinctly human capabilities in an AI-saturated world, underpin every discussion that is taking place. Our balance of acting cautiously, ethically and ambitiously ensures we are equipped to contribute positively to every classroom, our school, and global leadership by approaching AI cautiously, ethically, and ambitiously, and ultimately by putting learning and developing person at the centre.

Dr Matthew Hill

Dr Matthew Hill is the Director of The Barker Institute with a focus on professional learning, research, and innovation in the school.  He teaches Physics and the new Science Extension course at the School which introduces students to scientific academic research. Matthew's doctorate reflects his passion for science education focussing on Representational Fluency amongst physics students at school and university. He has published in leadership, education, and science journals and been involved in course development and teaching at The University of Sydney and The University of Western Sydney. He has also completed a Graduate Diploma in Divinity at Ridley College in Melbourne.