Jacques Ellul’s work as guiding theory for critical evaluation of AI in education
Spencer GreenhalghPurpose
The purpose of this paper is to argue that Jacques Ellul, a 20th-century French technology critic, provides important theoretical perspectives for educational researchers as they critically examine artificial intelligence (AI).
Design/methodology/approach
In this conceptual paper, the author introduces two key concepts from Ellulian thought, his definition of technique and his skepticism of facts, and illustrates their relevance through examples of how they might guide consideration of AI technologies in education. Each of these concepts is accompanied by multiple brief examples as well as an extended (if necessarily incomplete) consideration of one specific issue.
Findings
The author demonstrates how Ellul’s writing on technique invites us to consider broader and more interconnected phenomena than just a single AI tool; likewise, he shows how Ellul’s skepticism of facts can be used to evaluate epistemological assumptions and be more critical about media.
Originality/value
While Ellul is not unknown in the literatures on education, AI or the convergence of the two, many references to his work only engage with him and his ideas in passing. By contrast, the author provides an extended demonstration of how sustained engagement with Ellul’s thinking can inspire and shape researchers’ critical consideration of AI technologies in education.