AI in Leadership Development: Renegotiating the Social Contract Through Collective Student Agency

ABSTRACT

This case study investigates “The Worldbuilding Project,” a collaborative initiative between two diverse San Diego high schools that offers a model for AI leadership development grounded in critical pedagogy. Utilizing a six‐step worldbuilding methodology, students prototyped socio‐technical futures and authored a collective social contract to reclaim human agency over automated cognition. Findings suggest this cross‐institutional partnership fosters a “Post‐Digital Leadership” paradigm, prioritizing civic responsibility over technical proficiency. By centering student voices, this study provides a blueprint for educational institutions to transition from reactive prohibition toward humanizing, future‐oriented digital governance.